Georgia creates program to send poorly trained teachers back to class

ATLANTA - Georgia has created a guarantee of the quality of teachers coming out of its college programs: If a school district doesn&#39;t think the teacher has been trained properly, it can send the teacher back to class. <br> <br> It appears to be the nation&#39;s first large-scale effort of its kind. Some individual universities around the country have offered guarantees on their graduates. <br> <br> An associate vice chancellor with the Board of Regents, Jan Kettlewell, said, ``We&#39;re guaranteeing the quality of our teachers. We&#39;re trying to weave together knowledge and skills.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The guarantee applies to graduates of the University System of Georgia&#39;s 15 teacher education programs and starts with teachers who graduated last spring. <br> <br> School district officials who decide a teacher, in the first two years on the job, isn&#39;t performing up to standards can send the teacher back to college for additional training at no cost to the district or the teacher. <br> <br> Any teacher needing more instruction will design a plan with the school district and the university. The teacher can take a course in the summer, at night, on weekends or even online, depending on what needs correction. <br> <br> But university officials say they haven&#39;t received any requests to take a teacher back. <br> <br> Over the past few years, the state&#39;s 15 public institutions that offer education programs have focused courses to produce better-prepared teachers. Entry requirements for teacher programs were raised. More math and reading courses for elementary school teachers were mandated.