Let me see if I understand the recent discussion for bringing the Teach for America program to West Virginia. The state Board of Education believes that student achievement suffers because West Virginia has a large number of classroom teaching positions that we are not able to fill with fully certified teachers. Their answer is to bring in non-certified graduates from out of state to fill them. What am I missing here?

There is nothing magical about the participants in Teach for America. TFA students are no more qualified for the positions than the non-certified West Virginians who are currently filling those positions.

Teach for America recruits recent college graduates to commit to a minimum of two years in high-need, low-income schools throughout the country. It is reminiscent of Vista workers in the 1960s or the Peace Corp.

Most recruits have no prior teaching experience, no university-based courses in education, nor certification before entry into the program. TFA corps members are trained during a five-week summer institute prior to their placement. Upon placement, they receive their teaching salary plus a stipend from TFA.

The impact of these graduates is hotly debated. TFA, of course, gives high marks to their corps members. Independent research, however, is not as kind. Well known education researchers (Darling-Hammond, Holtzman, Gatlin & Heilig; Laczko-Kerr & Berliner) have concluded the students of novice TFA teachers perform significantly less well in reading and math than students of credentialed beginning teachers.

The good news is experience has a positive effect for both TFA and non-TFA teachers. However, since more than 50 percent of TFA teachers leave after two years, and more than 80 percent leave after three years, their students never benefit from the improvement in their teaching.

More recently, a 2006 study found that between 10 and 15 percent of each TFA class leaves before completing the two-year commitment. A comparison study of New York City teachers found that 90 percent of TFA recruits left by year four. In contrast, just over 40 percent of "regular certified" teachers left in the same time period. Bringing in TFA teachers for one or two years does nothing to solve our problems.

West Virginia has programs to work with non-certified college graduates, which enable them to fill our classrooms. Many who go through those state programs are state natives who cannot find employment in other areas. Why would we not want our own college graduates to go though our state alternative certification program to fill vacant positions?

West Virginia natives will be far more likely to remain in teaching positions past two years and are going to receive far more than a five-week crash course. Ultimately, our alternative certification programs will result in a certified teacher with a commitment to our state.

Study after study finds students perform better when taught by fully certified teachers. Teachers are trained professionals. They have gone to college to perfect their craft and have gained wisdom with experience. Lowering standards to bring in non-certified teachers is not going to improve public education in our state.

A few years ago when West Virginia experienced a shortage of physicians, we didn't look to lower standards for our doctors and allow college grads without medical degrees to practice medicine.

Instead, we made a concerted effort to entice those in the medical profession to stay. The exact opposite is true for educators. We constantly criticize teachers and blame them for all the ills of public education and then we wonder why we can't fill our teaching vacancies.

Let's be honest. Teach for America is not the answer to teacher shortages. We already have non-certified teachers in classroom positions. Simply bringing in more non-certified teachers through another program doesn't solve any of our problems.

TFA and similar programs are simply Band-Aids. Let's get serious and talk about ways to fix the problem and do what is best for students.

Lee is a special education teacher at Princeton Senior High School in Mercer County with 22 years of classroom experience, currently on leave to serve as the president of the West Virginia Education Association.