'Highly qualified' rules eased for some teachers

WASHINGTON - The nation's schools, under deadline to get a top teacher in every core class, have won some wiggle room in areas where the assignment is proving unrealistic.

Rural teachers, science teachers and those who teach multiple subjects will get leeway in showing they are highly qualified under federal law, the Education Department said Monday.

The changes are most sweeping for rural teachers, thousands of whom will get an extra school year - until spring 2007, three years from now - to show they are qualified in all topics they teach. Newly hired rural teachers will get three years from their hire date.

The easing of rules is the latest effort by the Bush administration to show it is trying to answer concerns about the No Child Left Behind Act without watering it down.

The law is at the center of Bush's domestic agenda, and his officials face a public relations challenge as more schools pop up on "needing improvement" lists, state leaders talk of federal intrusion and congressional Democrats complain of shaky federal enforcement.

States must get a highly qualified teacher in all core subjects, from math to history, by the end of the 2005-06 school year. "Highly qualified" means teachers must have a bachelor's degree, state certification and proven knowledge in the subjects they teach.

In practical terms, some schools have found the requirement exasperating, particularly for teachers who handle multiple subjects, as many in rural districts do. To show they are competent in their subjects, current teachers must pass a test in each topic, hold a college degree in that field or meet a standard of subject-matter knowledge as set by their state.