Conclusion

The current politics surrounding the initial process of becoming a certified teacher in Massachusetts reveal that there needs to be change in the ways by which teachers are prepared and evaluated before acquiring a license.  As many states change their education system to receive funds from the Race to the Top initiative, Massachusetts should also seize this opportunity to change the process of obtaining a teaching license.  Furthermore, the focus of finding and assessing quality teacher candidates not only fits with Race to the Top’s transformation model, which requires developing “teacher and leader effectiveness, and a comprehensive instructional program using student achievement data” (J. Dixon, personal communication, November 4, 2009), but it also augments the success and rewards gained by both teachers and their students.