[Cincinatus' Wife]

I’ll bet your average retired engineer could teach science better than your average science teacher. They ought to figure out a way to bring those guys in.

Many go through certification hoops but that's only half the battle, you still have to deal with the left-wing agenda once there (as do a lot of teachers who flee public education). Other aspects are lack of discipline, safety issues and standards that don't advocate excellence but rather cater to (and so achieve) the lowest bar of achievement.

[Jacquerie]

Agree. An experienced engineer is going to start off, like any new teacher, with the worst kids, the feral ones. For these kids, their teachers are well paid babysitters.

As this article implies, few men are willing to put up with the worst of the democrat welfare state.

[BobL]

“Many (retired engineers) go through certification hoops but that’s only half the battle, you still have to deal with the left-wing agenda once there (as do a lot of teachers who flee public education). Other aspects are lack of discipline, safety issues and standards that don’t advocate excellence but rather cater to (and so achieve) the lowest bar of achievement.”

You’re right. Competence is one thing, but how can you teach math when this is what you are required to teach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y29XL99qM6s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI&feature=related