The Indiana State Board of Education is proposing a teaching license that would allow college graduates with good grades and work experience to become classroom teachers. According to the Board:
“Candidates would need to hold a bachelor’s degree with a B-average in the content area they want to teach, pass a content test and have work experience in the subject they want to teach. The teacher also would need to begin training on instructional methods by the first month they enter a classroom.”
Imagine that – teachers who know their subjects as opposed to pedagogical fads. Sounds great, unless you are in the Indiana State Teachers Association. Members feel that the new license “cheapens the profession”:
“To allow someone to simply pass a test and demonstrate knowledge of a particular content area in no way qualifies them to be teaching children in a classroom.”
I can think of numerous punch lines here. How about – given the proliferation of high stakes testing in K-12 education, having considerable skill in passing tests is the perfect preparation for modern teachers.
Insert more punch lines below if you like.
