HARRISBURG (Nov. 13) – A top Department of Education official faced a barrage of criticism Thursday over the state’s plan to overhaul elementary and middle school teacher training.

The plan will step up requirements for students seeking teaching certifications and for the teachers who train them. Instead of the current system of one certification for all teachers of kindergarten through sixth grade, the new guidelines offer separate certifications for teachers of pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and fifth through eighth grade. The guidelines also require that all teachers receive special education training.

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