The teacher fired after his science experiment injured four students, one seriously, did not have a valid Colorado teacher's license.
DENVER - Three weeks ago, Daniel Powell conducted a science experiment that went so wrong, four students were injured, one seriously. He has now been fired and state records show he did not have valid teaching license.
'It's a horrible, unfortunate incident and our hearts bleed for the families and for those students,' Nora Flood, president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said.
Powell was a teacher at SMART Academy which is part of a network of charter schools called Strive Prep. He was trying to show students a chemistry experiment with fire and methanol when a fire started causing serious burns to one student.
'It could've been anybody at any school,' Flood said.
In a search of the data base which shows records of teacher licenses, there is no listing of a Daniel Powell with a current Colorado teacher's license. Charter schools are not required to have licensed teachers in the classroom.
Flood says that's by design.
'There are always challenges in finding good teachers and so we're actually able to go outside the realm of the traditional teacher licensure program to try to find the best fit for our schools,' Flood said. 'It's one of the things we hold dear and that is, that it is up to the school to be able to determine for themselves whether they want to have that licensure piece.'
Flood says that allows, for example, a science-based school to seek a professional engineer to teach students about engineering.
'You have to be an expert in the field you are going to teach,' Flood said.
Colleen O'Neil is the executive director of professional services and educator licensing for the Colorado Department of Education. O'Neil cannot comment specifically about the incident at SMART Academy. But, she says there are certain reasons why teachers obtain a state license.
'Safety is absolutely part. It's part of our core teacher quality standards,' O'Neil said. 'It's understanding that safety is part of our responsibility when students are in our classrooms around our schools.'
Flood says many charter schools use teachers who are licensed. She adds that most, if not all, charter schools have induction and preparation programs for unlicensed teachers that usually cover safety guidelines.
She says whether Powell has a teacher's license or not should not be an issue in this incident.
'Our hearts bleed for the families and for those students. I don't think it had to do with licensure,' Flood said. 'I am not one who believes that a licensure piece of paper necessarily would've prevented this.'
O'Neil says teachers who are licensed are well-equipped to handle teaching and emergencies in the classroom.
'We have proven over and over again that the most important thing in the classroom is an effective teacher who has effective skills,' O'Neil said.
She adds that more charter schools are turning to licensed teachers.
'There is an increase in charter schools requesting licenses for individual candidates,' O'Neil said. 'There are certainly those who don't have a license either and been in the charter school system and have been very effective for a very long time.'
Strive Prep's leadership team did not want to comment because the incident is still under investigation. Powell did not return a request for comment, either. Three students have returned to class. One student is still recovering from serious burns.
Flood says people should see this as a rare incident not the norm.
'I think if you look across our charter schools, you don't see this as a pattern,' Flood said. 'I do not think it is at all indicative of that school culture, that network's culture, not of the charter schools across the state.'
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
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Entities 0 Name: O'Neil Count: 5 1 Name: Powell Count: 3 2 Name: SMART Academy Count: 2 3 Name: Colorado Count: 2 4 Name: Daniel Powell Count: 2 5 Name: Colleen O'Neil Count: 1 6 Name: Colorado Department of Education Count: 1 7 Name: Colorado League of Charter Schools Count: 1 8 Name: Multimedia Holdings Corporation Count: 1 9 Name: Nora Flood Count: 1 10 Name: KUSA-TV Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1us7jR0 Title: Why Finland's schools are top-notch Description: Editor's note: Pasi Sahlberg is visiting professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education and former director general in the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Follow him on Twitter: @pasi_sahlberg. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.
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