You said that they required you to have an English degree but gave you an option to test out of that requirement. So.... what's the problem?
If federal money is going to states to pay for education, there needs to be standards for that funding. Testing. Not just testing of students, but of teachers, too. And letting the states make up their own tests was a huge mistake; those tests needed to be done nationally - one test for each grade. Children in SC need the same standards as those in IA.
I agree with your original point however - privatize the entier system. Get government out of it entirely.
>>I do not understand your complaint.
You said that they required you to have an English degree but gave you an option to test out of that requirement. So.... what’s the problem?<<
True, it’s a minor complaint. Pile up the minor complaints and they turn into a major pain in the backside. My point is that I was already a demonstrated expert in my field. People had paid me good money to write, research, edit, proofread, and work with the public. In fact, I can demonstrate my life experience is the crucial factor when presenting writing and reading lessons to my students. When a student asks me why he or she has to learn good writing skills, I can instantly share dozens of real-life situations where good writing is crucial for success. Those experiences wouldn’t have emerged from a graduate seminar on Sylvia Plath.
Regulations imposed from above often do not equal quality. For instance, you can work as a biologist for decades in the Fish and Wildlife Service but not be considered “qualified” for teaching biology if your degree is wildlife management. The regulation demands a degree in biology. The regulations don’t recognize teaching skill, personality, or knowledge gained outside the college classroom.
I can also get started on a rant about the uselessness of college classes, especially those in the schools of education and journalism, if you would like, but I would imagine that you’re familiar with the severe shortcomings in those departments.
Schools are the business of parents and communities in order to serve their children. The feds should restrict themselves to those duties outlined in article 1, section 8 of the Constitution.
In theory, that sounds like a panacea. In reality, it assures nothing. The students who get tested...their results aren't returned to the teachers in whose classroom, or grade, they were in when the tests were taken. The results are not returned until months later. The tests assume that "all children are equal." But with federal mandates that ALL children "be placed in the least restrictive environment" you have children with special needs in ALL classrooms now. That includes autistic children, children who do not speak English, children who are dyslexic, and so on. Testing teachers? On what will you "test" teachers? If the religiously applied doomed-to fail, but required by the local board of education's curriculum, like "new math" or "whole language"? Let's blame the teachers who have no say about doomed to fail curriculum, national standards (especially those in math and science, which require computers be used...because such things as algorithms are so "outdated and old fashioned"). Certainly, there are many teachers who'd pass with flying colors because they've embraced the new fads put out by liberals on state boards of education.