Taking four credits...and teaching three

Like many Yale students, Daniel Norland, DC '02, rides his bike to class every morning. But unlike the rest of the student body, Norland rides to class to teach. Since Mon., Oct. 2, Norland has been teaching three classes at New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School, while at the same time taking four credits at Yale.

Norland, an Ethics Politics & Economics major, participates in the Teacher Preparation program—what the blue book calls "a state-approved program designed for students interested in teaching in middle and high schools." While most Yale students in the program intern with a local high school teacher, Norland has elected to accept a permanent substitute teaching position at Wilbur Cross.

KATIE ALDRICH/YH Yale student Daniel Norland, DC '02, holds a substitute full-time teaching position at Wilbur Cross High School.

In his first week, Norland received positive feedback from Cross students and faculty. Shantel Collier, 14, said of Norland, "He's nice, he's fun. He knows what type of things we like 'cause he's a student himself." Louann Bohman, the assistant principal, commended Norland's "fluency with the material and enthusiasm with the kids." Shanna Sapiente, 14, added, "He's much younger than any other teacher and he's also cooler. I look forward to coming to this class."

On the flip side, Sapiente said, "[because] he's so young some people don't listen and take advantage of him." Norland, it seems, still has a way to go in winning over all of his students.

During last Thursday's class, as a student wrote the word "domesticated" on the board, stumbling over the spelling, Norland reassured her by saying, "`domesticated' is even a big word for me," to which another student responded, "Yeah right, you at Yale, they probably got 50-letter words up in there."

"There are certainly boundaries to be crossed," Norland said. He explained that he does not expect immediate acceptance as a white student from Yale in a school where approximately 90 percent of the students are non-white. "When I walk into a classroom for the first time, one of the first thoughts a student will have is that the teacher is white. It takes some effort and a little time for them to stop thinking `he's white,' and to start thinking he really cares about this subject, he really cares about us students, and we're going to try to pay attention to him because of that."

"I'm going to be a history teacher. That's what I want to do when I grow up," Norland said. At 19, he is only three years older than his students. But according to Bohman, teacher shortages made Norland's hiring necessary. "Cross doesn't usually hire college students," Bohman said, "but we are very very short on subs here in New Haven."

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 35.1 percent of school districts did not require a bachelor's degree in 1994. Connecticut, however, prides itself on having some of the more "vigorous requirements for teachers entering into the profession," according to a 1998 report from the Connecticut State Department. Despite critics' fears that the elevated standards would discourage teaching candidates, the number of candidates increased three-fold in five years. The State Department's figures, however, don't help Cross High School's dearth of teachers. "Teaching is a case where demand very much exceeds supply," Norland said.

Cross, like many schools in New Haven, does not have access to the influx of highly motivated and qualified applicants that some other districts in the state have enjoyed. "To be a substitute teacher you need a bachelor's degree [according to Connecticut State Statutes, Sec. 10-145], but I don't have that," Norland admitted. "But if they didn't hire me, there simply would have been a classroom without a teacher, and that's never good."

Under the law, the Commissioner of Education may waive the requirement "for good cause upon the request of a superintendent of schools." Because Norland has clearly not received his bachelor's degree from Yale, when asked if Cross had obtained explicit permission for a waiver of such a requirement, Bohman said, "not exactly." However, all personnel changes must pass through the office of the superintendent, Dr. Reginald R. Mayo, meaning Norland's hiring must have received tacit consent.

The demand for good teachers apparently supersedes the strict application of state regulationions at Cross. The high demand for teachers is largely caused by noncompetitive wages—an average of 50 dollars per day. Since 1989, salaries have remained relatively unchanged for the oldest and youngest groups of teachers and have declined approximately 400 dollars per year for the middle age group (35 to 40 years old), according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The monetary incentive to attract qualified individuals is simply not there.

But money is not Norland's motivation for teaching. "I would do it for free," he said. "The money is not the issue. I would probably pay to do it."

Unfortunately, Norland can only work for 90 days before his title of substitute teacher expires and he must fulfill the requirements of a full-time teacher. Because he has not yet graduated from college, Norland can't expect to teach past the 90-day limit. Bohman acknowledged that in following the letter of the law, the school will lose a valuable teacher, but maintained that the rule will be enforced. "He can sub for 90 days," Bohman said, "but after that, he'll have to go."

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