[Tell It Right]

With some exceptions education majors are at the bottom quartiles on SAT, ACT exams etc. and imbued with social justice and political correctness prattle.

I concur. I do know some teachers who went into education because they love kids and wanted to make a difference and be part missionary in a worldly-defined field. Including a friend who was an electrical engineer who retired early from that field to teach math in high school and be better at it than his math teachers were. But I also know some teachers who said they went to college to be an engineer or programmer or such and decided that field was too hard. Thus they changed majors to education because it was easier to get that degree.

[Maine Mariner]

I also know college students who switched from majors such as accounting, finance, and economics because of the analytical thinking required and majored in education.

At least for grades 9-12 and probably 7-12, teacher should be required to major and/or minor in the field(s) their teaching and then if required to do so, do a fifth year of education courses and student teaching. I add the fifth year because of state license requirements.