Quotes are taken from a message written by Paul to All on 08/07/96...
PS>        The State of Washington is now proposing a teacher testing
PS>process in an attempt to weed out teachers who are underqualified in
PS>term of their own academics.
PS>
PS>    I was wondering if anyone has already studied the effectiveness
PS>of doing this process? Do students learn better with teachers
PS>who have or can complete such a process?  Are these tests effective?
This IS an interesting question and it deserves more study.  But a lot 
of the motivation for it is due to schools' sensitivity to public image. 
 Notes and letters with grammatical errors or mispellings sent home to 
parents from the very people who are supposed to teach grammar and 
spelling are an embarrassment.  Math assignments with poorly constructed 
problems sent home with children are also embarrassing.
Colleges graduate future teachers who have achieved no higher than 65% 
accuracy in their work - a totally unacceptable benchmark.  I have had 
student teachers in math who BUTCHER the terminology used in class, 
sometimes so badly that I stop the lesson to correct them (these are 
college seniors, one semester from certification).
I think testing of teacher candidates for mastery of basic skills 
(reading, writing and arithmetic) isn't such a bad idea as long as 
colleges continue to graduate people with skills only equivalent to 65% 
accuracy.
Chuck
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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* UniQWK #5290* 50% of all people are below average.
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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