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Education

VERY interesting.

Very interesting, indeed.

“I think allowing veterans to teach helps the teacher shortage in Florida. Not only do they have to have 60 credits but they’re also assigned a mentor and must pass an exam with bachelor-level subjects,” Stilwell-Carroll explained. “So, I believe this is a great solution to our teacher shortage and also keeps our veterans employed after serving.”

Maybe you can make an argument for minimum requirement for lower grades, but I think even THAT problem pretty much goes away with a strong school executive (NOT multiple weak ones, but one strong executive who is totally responsible and who faces frequent review by the school board).

And it goes without saying that for decent education, you de-fang the teachers’ unions. THAT is a crucial aspect.

But here’s the danger for the entrenched school folks: What if these non-formally educated, uncredentialed, and unlicensed people do just as well as people who have a teaching certificate?

Kinda blows a hole in the whole restrictive education bureaucracy, eh? And it shows that non-formally educated parents can indeed be good at home schooling!

We should not be unaware of what a HUGE, existential threat this is to Entrenched Education, Inc. Because if a high school educated Veteran can do it, why do we need a credential at all?

My take? Require a at least a 2-year college degree. Any degree, but with focus on teaching kids. Maybe a particular one-class curriculum.

And then make it easy to fire sub-optimal teachers. Make Principals actually weighty. Make them really the executive of the school. And they get fired by the school board if they are not doing a good job.

Is that a perfect solution? No, of course not. But the real question is whether or not it is better than we have. And I think it is.

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