The state has revised what new teachers will need to learn and do before leading their first classrooms.

But some local educators worry the changes to teacher certifications could hurt recruiting efforts, students and cost taxpayers more.

The goal of the revisions is to demand specialized training (think pediatrician versus general practitioner) for the modern classroom.

The world of education is one of high-stakes testing in which teachers and schools are held accountable for the performance of all students, from all backgrounds.

"We need more focused education and that requires more focused teachers," said Michael Race, spokesman for the state Department of Education.

Michael Leichliter, an assistant superintendent in the Penn Manor School District, worries, however, the revisions will hurt his district's recruitment efforts, especially for those qualified to teach special education.

Leichliter is in charge of personnel.

"With the requirements the state already has in place, we already have a hard time in acquiring special-education teachers," he said. "This is going to be tough. I'm very concerned."

Revisions to teacher certifications in Pennsylvania were approved by the state Board of Education last May, but do not go into effect until January 2013.

The revisions will change what it takes to earn certification as an elementary- or middle-school teacher — increasing course requirements for regular teachers and doubling the certifications needed to become a special education teacher.

Existing teachers will not have to acquire the new certifications.

Henry Kenn, a retired Ephrata high-school teacher and former 12-year president of Ephrata's teachers union, agrees with Leichliter on the revisions' effect on recruiting efforts.

And both say requiring more credentials will mean paying higher salaries.

Most schools already offer special-education teachers a stipend, but often it's just a few hundred dollars.

Under the new certifications, new special education teachers will have to earn a special education certificate in pre-K-8 or grades 7-12.

Before, they could earn a special education certificate that allowed them to teach students from birth to 21 years of age, the cutoff for a free public education in Pennsylvania.

Beginning with those graduating in 2013, special education majors will also have to earn a second certificate.

In addition, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, every teacher must attain "highly qualified" status.

For special education teachers to be so rated, they must have their basic proper certifications and prove mastery of every core subject they teach.

They can do this by earning certification in every subject they teach or by passing subject-specific state Praxis tests. If a special education teacher instructs in math, language arts and science, the educator must take the tests in each and show mastery of all three subjects.

"It will make our job more difficult to recruit people who are dually certified," said Flip Steinour, director of human resources at the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, which employs about 400 special education teachers.

Jane Bray, dean of the school of education at Millersville University, said it's hard to imagine most students being able to complete the courses needed to meet the new requirements in four years.

Lauren Schmitt, a first-year special education teacher at Penn Manor High School, said it took her 4!-W years to earn separate certifications in elementary education and special education. She did not have to earn the two certifications but chose to do so.

She believes the tougher certification requirements will do little to discourage those truly passionate about special education. But it will cost them more and take longer.

In the meantime, Millersville University — like other colleges that offer education degrees — is working on what the new courses and curriculum will look like.

Millersville must get its new lineup of classes for all of those preparing to be teachers ready for its freshman class of 2009.

For regular-education certifications, the revisions will split the current K-6 elementary certification into two sections: grades pre-K-3 and grades 4-8.

This will give teachers more training in teaching content/subjects for more specific age groups.

The thinking behind the new divisions:

"It's a period of intellectual development and educational development," Race said. "It helps to be more focused and more specialized."

Also driving the change to elementary certifications are test results.

One-third of students across the state in grades 3, 5 and 8, are not proficient in reading on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.

And, one-third of students in grades 5 and 8 are not proficient on the state test in math, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Academics, however, is not the only area to consider in educating elementary children, Lampeter-Strasburg Superintendent Bob Frick, a former elementary teacher, said.

"My understanding is that if I'm preparing to be an elementary teacher, and I want to teach grades four, five and six, I'm going to need to earn that certificate and have an area of specialization (such as math)," he said.

Frick worries this will lead to 9-year-olds having different teachers for all of their subjects. The relationship between an elementary student and a teacher is "sacred," he said.

In addition to having teachers prepare to teach more targeted ages, another factor driving the changes is that many students who are not proficient are in special education, are members of minority groups, speak English as a second language or come from low-income homes.

With this in mind, regular-education teachers will also have to take at least three courses on special education and one course preparing them for English-language learners.

Inclusion laws call for more learning-support students to be in traditional classrooms. Under No Child Left Behind, schools are held accountable for the performance of all of their students.

Most educators agree that additional training for regular education teachers is a good thing.

"It gives teachers an understanding of how to deal with all children," said Paul Schleyer, coordinator of student services with the Lancaster school district. And "what works in special education works with general education kids also."

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