So I just saw on the news that a bill is being proposed that would allow people to be teachers without having a teaching degree. For public schools! Who thought that was a good idea? It absolutely floors me that anyone would ever think that is going to ensure quality education. Just because someone is smart does not mean that they know HOW to teach. Teaching is about so much more than just being smart. Now I'm not saying that everyone who has a teaching degree is an incredible teacher. There are always going to be people in any profession that perhaps should have chosen something else as a career. But just opening up something like teaching to anyone who has a college degree is so wrong, in my opinion. Would you let someone be a doctor who hadn't gone to medical school, just because they were smart? Never! This is what I think is totally wrong about charter schools as well. Let's have some accountability people! If there's a teacher shortage, maybe they should think about raising teacher pay so that people actually want to teach in Utah - that seems a better solution than allowing whoever wants to teach, to teach! I was happy to see that the bill was amended to exclude elementary school - but still. I think it is 100% wrong! If people want to choose to send their kids to schools where the teachers aren't trained on how to be a teacher, fine. But don't make that the option for people who either don't have any other choice besides public schools or who choose public schools. It completely de-values those who spent the time and money to be trained in being a teacher.
This reminds me of when I taught in California. They had a similar program in place, where those without teaching degrees could teach. So I go there my first year out of college, and at the end of that school year, the district has to lay off teachers due to budget cuts. So instead of those that have no degrees being laid off, all of us first year teachers out of college got laid off because we didn't have the years of experience or seniority. Kind of hard to get those when we were busy going to college to learn how to be a teacher! In essence, we were punished for taking time to go to college and get a teaching degree. How does that make sense?
Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now. It just really irritates me.
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4 comments:
I agree with you on that completely. So dumb....
Thank you! As a fellow teacher I totally disagree with allowing people to teach who aren't trained! I mean, that totally demeans the professionalism of teachers doesn't it? Teachers are professionals. It seems the government is always trying to undermine that....to keep down teacher pay???
I will have to look at that bill. I think there just needs to be more accountability for teaching period! There are a lot of teachers out there who aren't doing a good job. If we want good education, we need better ways to track what is really going on!
I agree with you. That is so dumb!
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