I tried that. Despite the much bemoaned lack of teachers in science and math - and a M.S. degree - I was told (in California) that I needed a degree in “Education” in order to teach High School.
Sure, as a Graduate Student I was apparently qualified to teach College students University level Cell and Molecular Biology (I was very highly rated by my students), I was apparently unqualified to teach High School students basic Science.
I loved teaching as well, and was willing to take a pay cut to do it. But I was not willing to go back to school to get a degree in “Education”. My ex wife went through that and I helped her though the nonsensical course work.
But all is well that ends well. Now I do real science every day and make more than I would have as a teacher (although the work is harder and the hours longer and the perks less). Moreover I really do good with the work I do - finding life changing novel treatments for serious diseases.
When I hear about them threatening to strike I can only think “Ronald Reagan and the Air Traffic Controllers”.
Fire them all and replace them - it shouldn’t be too hard to find qualified teachers if you do not insist on a degree in “Education”.
The ones "insisting" are the lawmakers who are in the union's pocket. The taxpayers make no such insistence - but since when have their opinions mattered?
I live in the Cleveland area and couldn't even get an interview with the Cleveland Public Screwels. Why?
1) I am "white."
2) I don't have an Education degree . . . just a Bachelor's Degree in History and Social Studies.
3) My 23 years of teaching at a family owned vocational school didn't mean squat either.
That same year, the Cleveland School system went to overseas to hire hundreds of Indian teachers, brought them over here, housed them, and today, there's not one left in the system between being beat up, robbed, raped, etc., within the schools themselves.
But . . . can't hire that "white" guy from the suburbs who doesn't have that "Education" degree.
For teaching high school, I would dispense with "Ed" degrees, and require a degree in the subject being taught. The whole "Ed" degree system is a scam to put the education system under the control of a small group of education professors.
I would also use the military as a pool of instructors for some subjects. Military NCOs and officers spend much of their time teaching complex tasks to teenagers.
The CTU has no contract with the CBOE.The Air Traffic Controllers had a signed contract and a group of them decided to strike.They were fired as they should have been.
Yes,there may be a percentage within every career that has no business being there.This is what happened when the government entered into the workplace and education.You were told whom to hire.
My 2 youngest grandchildren are graduates of the CBOE schools.They are on academic scholarships.One is in New Orleans and the other in Urbana.The one, at the UofI, is in Honors Chemistry.They are good girls and do well in their studies.The chemistry major has been an intern at Wrigley Company since she was sixteen(3yrs).
A politician in Springfield wanted a CBOE teacher to give her daughter grades that the child did not deserve.When she didn’t get her way,she went to Arne Duncan. He called the school and told them to do what this mother wanted.He is with Obama and runs the Education Department.
Hats off to the the 96% of the teachers that do an excellent job with our children day in and day out.