A story in The Dallas Morning News casts a critical glance at a year-and-a-half-old Texas program, the Temporary Teacher Certificate, which is designed solely to get teachers in shortage areas like math and science into high schools on a fast track--so fast that all that's required is a major in the intended teaching area and a passing score on the state licensing test. According to the story, only one new teacher has attained certification under the state's Temporary Teacher Certificate.

Richard Kouri of the Texas State Teachers Association claims, "Most school districts don't want to be responsible for instantly certifying folks as teachers." Actually, the reasons may be a bit more complicated, with much of it having to do with the cost to districts. Texas's other flourishing alternate route to licensure programs shift program costs onto the aspiring teachers themselves. The Temporary Teacher Certificate requires districts to pay the full freight.