If the Government Says I Can't Teach, Then it Must Be Right

I have been teaching for 15 years at two universities, the University of Missouri and Minnesota State University.  I have taught a variety of classes:  Principles of Economics (an honors level course), Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, Econometrics, Business Statistics, Managerial Economics, Collective Bargaining, and Sports Economics.  I even taught Environmental Economics for a month at Mizzou when the professor was seriously injured in a car accident.  I won two teaching awards as a TA at Mizzou.  At my current school, I have several colleagues who students consider to be excellent teachers. 

None of us in my department, at least that I know of, have teaching certificates.  That is, according to the state of Minnesota, we can't teach in public schools.  I don't know what the barriers to entry are in that part of the profession, but they are probably non-trivial. 

According to this ruling (that you probably have heard about), none of us would be able to teach our own children in our homes if we lived in California.

A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.

Of course, the teachers' unions are happy as clams.

"We're happy," said Lloyd Porter, who is on the California Teachers Association board of directors. "We always think students should be taught by credentialed teachers, no matter what the setting."

See the end of this post for why unions like to crush their employers' competition.

Warren Meyer remarks.

Whoa!  No Constitutional right to educate our kids how we see fit? With an imminent government takeover of our kids' eating habits as well, that will leave exactly what parental duties to parents?

Is it that much of a stretch to think, as Meyer's title suggests, that it will only be a matter of time before government will require a license for people to be parents?  If so, then who gets to determine who the master race will be?

Comments

[Chance]

Wow, I'm stunned.

[William Polley]

Adding to the absurdity, private school teachers in CA do not need to be credentialed. All they need to do is file with the state that they are operating a private school.

Madness.

Even the LA Times agrees.