Here’s another article by Frederick Hess, Tear Down This Wall: The Case for a Radical Overhaul of Teacher Certification. This dude has a good sense of humor and some good points to make. He argues that to be qualified to teach, people should only be required to have a bachelor’s degree, pass a test in their subject area, and have a clean criminal record. This would not eliminate teacher training programs, but it would mean that they would have to offer something that principals, teachers, and schools would value since they would all be competing with one another for students and respect. OH NO! INTRODUCING MARKET FORCES! EVIL! But a good idea. I would love to be able to choose from teacher training programs that have been shaped by competitive value. I was going to quote from the article, but when trying to paste from the Adobe document instead of words I got 1000 little boxes, which I’m guessing you’re not interested in. If you click on the link, go down to the conclusion on page 29 and read the last paragraph. It’s funny and true.
–Guest blogger Newoldschoolteacher
P.S. Thanks for those of you who emailed me with ideas! Keep those suggestions comin’! newoldschoolteacher@gmail.com