Dear Parent or Guardian:

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act defines standards for teacher quality.  Under ESSA, teachers must hold a Massachusetts teaching license at the Preliminary, Initial, or Professional level and demonstrate subject matter competency in the areas they teach. ESSA standards apply to the subject matter taught by teachers.  For example, a teacher may be qualified to teach one subject but not another.  With this in mind, we are doubling our efforts to make sure all teachers at our schools are appropriately assigned to teach classes that reflect their qualifications.

Under the law, school districts must annually notify the parents/guardians of each student attending any Title I school that they may request information about the qualifications of their child’s teacher and teachers:

1. Whether your child’s teacher has met State qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction.
2. Whether your child’s teacher is teaching under an emergency license or waiver through which the state qualifications or licensing criteria have been waived.
3. The baccalaureate degree major of your child’s teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field or discipline of the certification of degree.
4. Whether your child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, give their qualifications.

Lowell Public Schools is committed to providing quality instruction for all students and does so by employing the most qualified individuals to teach and support each student in the classroom.  If you would like to receive any of the information listed above for your child’s teacher, please contact the principal of your child’s school.