Quote:
Originally Posted by epchick
And where is your proof that the more stringent requirements for certification don't improve the quality? That's true that not every teacher is a quality teacher, but NCLB didn't lower the bar, the less-than-quality teachers have been around waaaaay longer than NCLB. The federal government sets up guidelines for what a "highly qualified" teacher is, and each state then sets their own standards for a "highly qualified" teacher. So really, it depends on the state if you have "lower" quality teachers.
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My proof? Just look around at the school systems. I can speak from experience in my own state, and I'm sure people in other states can attest to the same thing. What the federal government says is a high quality teacher is someone who has the right credentials on paper. Anyone can go through certification requirements if they pay the money and enroll in the classes. That is NOT what makes someone a good teacher. It takes years of dedication and working to hone skills before someone really becomes a quality teacher.
I know teachers who have the proper certification and can't teach worth a d@#$. They don't know how to do proper lesson plans. They don't know anything about pacing guides. They stand up and lecture for the entire class period with little involvement or interaction from the students. I could go on.
And it is interesting to me that despite the NCLB laws, they STILL push TFA.