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Even if competent people were allowed en masse to become teachers without jumping through the education industry’s hoops, it wouldn’t be a good thing. the new, hihgly qualified teachers would probably do a good job, but who would do their jobs? If you take the hundred thousand smartest people in the country and make them teachers, all of a sudden a lot of airplanes won’t get flown, hearts won’t get transplanted, inventions won’t be made... the country would fall apart.

Even if competent people were allowed en masse to become teachers without jumping through the education industry’s hoops

It's pretty simple to transition to teaching. Many colleges have programs that let you take the education classes while still working at your current job. I'm looking into it now, actually.

If you take the hundred thousand smartest people in the country and make them teachers, all of a sudden a lot of airplanes won’t get flown, hearts won’t get transplanted, inventions won’t be made... the country would fall apart.

Why in the world would we need to pull 100,000 people out of industry to improve our education system? We have plenty of good teachers and a few bad ones. All those 100,000 people need to do to improve our education system is to make their kids study. If every parent got involved and made their child study and complete the coursework, our schools would improve 100 percent.

This is an interesting observation. I have always said that only the top ten percent in any profession is in the top ten percent. In most places, the top ten percent are the true doers, the ones who create, and get things done. This is true in public school and true in colleges as well. We don’t like to admit it, but only the top ten percent of doctors do most of the difficult cases in hospitals and research. Life is like this.

But I agree that education would be improved if the teachers were allowed by their union to negotiate directly with their boss for their salary. This would attract some outstanding people into the teaching profession (perhaps to the demise of their present job) but at least we would have the opportunity to see some of these exceptional people in public education as well as where ever they work today.

And before I leave, there are some outstanding people in public education, they are there because they feel a calling or want to work where they can make a difference. They are not compensated properly for this dedication and parents in public schools should find these mentors and make sure their kids get into some of their classes.