99counties.org» 2009 July

Skip to content
Skip to menu

Jul 22 2009

Making it easier to become a teacher

Category: education — SusieQ @ 9:34 am

Shortcuts to a teaching license are planned at the three state universities and a few Iowa private colleges.

The goal is to retrain educated workers who want to teach middle school and high school without forcing them to go to college full time for two years.

Iowa professionals have pushed for an easier way to transition to teaching, college officials said. State officials said alternative licensing programs produced a third of the nation’s new teachers.

“I really believe there is a market,” said George Maurer, director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, which oversees teacher licensing. “A number of states have gone into this area.”

This is a plan that is long overdue. The hoop-jumping required to be a “highly qualified teacher” in Iowa is ridiculously cumbersome. The system, as it is now, virtually guarantees teachers with no experience outside the classroom.

Warrern Buffet couldn’t teach economics in HS, Bill Gates couldn’t teach computers, and John Wooden couldn’t coach HS basketball – all because they don’t have a teaching/coaching license! This program is a step closer to making such nonsense go away. School learning is good, but other experience should be valued a lot more.