So, mcfifthfromthebottomofhisclass believes soldiers without teacher certification ought to teach?

[YDogg]

:wtf:

[Muttocracy]

1. I had the exact same reaction - so much for teaching standards - military is everything?

[valerief]

2. More dumb teachers means more dumb Merkans. That means more

money shoveled upward to the wealthy.

[Catshrink]

3. Yeah -- don't require teacher training.

Just throw them in with a bunch of kids and they'll do okay. And they want to improve education? It's that very attitude that's hurting education. Moran.

[MaineDem]

4. That caught my interest, too

What are they qualified to teach? It scares me to think.

[KewlKat]

5. Yeah, that statement dropped my jaw

Nothing against the military, but how does being in the military qualify them to teach in schools and without having to take any exams, etc. I guess it's kind of like getting shot down in an airplane qualifies you to be president?

[Supersedeas]

24. especially with Army recruiting standards at an ALL TIME LOW--taking any and everybody

[Erin Elizabeth]

35. It's the classic insulting attitude of anyone can teach.

That it's easy.

I always enocurage people with that attitude to go attempt to teach for even a month. They never do it. But the few I know who have made that career change want to punch anyone out who dares to say teaching is even remotely easy. Far from it.

[cynatnite]

6. I was a soldier...can I teach geometry?

:rofl:

[jillan]

7. Jeez - as I am sending my daughter to college, paying tuition so she can be a teacher -

wtf was that answer?
How is fighting a war going to prepare someone how to teach an 8 year old math?

[livetohike]

8. I second that WTF

:wtf: As a former teacher, I am disgusted by his attitude towards teachers. The belief that any troop can come back from Iraq and step into a classroom without any teacher preparation or certification is ludicrous. I know why Obama didn't call him on it, but McCain is dead wrong on that idea.

[Rude Horner]

9. Same here

I thought :wtf:

[kansasblue]

10. God bless and big thanks to our military...but drop them untrained in a classroom?

I had the same reaction

[WorseBeforeBetter]

11. Yeah, that was pretty stunning.

As someone with family in the military, I'm all for my brother being able to teach if that's what he wanted to do, but only if properly certified. Interestingly, his wife (and mother of two young kids) just struggled to get her B.A. in Education -- I gotta find out what she thinks about this!

[faithfulcitizen]

12. yep, you heard it right.

[speedoo]

13. Another half-baked idea that gains him nothing. Shows that he knows ZERO about teaching.

Not quite a hail mary, but the same concept. Backfire big time among teachers also.

[AbbeyRoad]

14. Yes, apparently he does

Isn't that a great idea? :sarcasm:

[Starry Messenger]

15. Right outta the army!

That'll learn em

[silverojo]

16. I couldn't believe that shit, either

If McCain had his way, he'd let returning troops perform brain surgery.

He just doesn't get the fact that military service doesn't make you automatically fit for another career.

Like becoming President. :evilgrin:

[justiceischeap]

17. Just lost all Independent voters who are teachers! Eee-haw! n/t

[SIMPLYB1980]

18. Yep that is a really bad idea.

:wtf: Indeed.

[TheKentuckian]

19. I was FLABBERGASTED!

McWorst is the wackiest motherfucker in the room.

[fishwax]

20. higher standards for teachers -- unless they're soldiers just back from Iraq

then they shouldn't be hassled with all those "certification tests" and "licensing requirements" :wtf:

[medicswife]

21. That's not how troops to teachers works.

My husband would make a great teacher, but he's not qualified for Troops to Teachers. There is an alternate certification program, and it's pretty danged tough. McCain just didn't know what the hell he was talking about like usual.

[silverojo]

36. Why the hell IS there a "troops to teachers" at all?

I'm tired of this idiotic thinking, that joining the military entitles you to everything in the world. I'm tired of hearing about their "service" and "sacrifice". Cops and firemen risk their lives EVERY WORKING DAY, not just during wartime, and they're treated (not to mention paid) like crap.

If the troops want to be teachers, they should have to do exactly what a regular citizen does to become a teacher--no programs, no special treatment.

[NavyDem]

22. McCrash missed the mark on requirements...

Here is the website for the troops to teachers program to determine eligibility. I answered the questions based on retiring from active duty, and without a bachelors degree, and having the equivalent of 24 semester hours of college, it looks like I can get a 5000.00 stipend to pay for certication as a teacher. Here's the link: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/troopstoteachers/eligibility.asp?Flag=True

[FatDave]

23. That was really weird.

My wife and I both thought so. She said "maybe PE". I said "How about English?"

Ummm....no.

[ecstatic]

25. that man is nuts! nt

[Justice]

26. well, he needs to make up for not giving our vets healthcare ......

[Erin Elizabeth]

27. There's another poster here in that program and McCain apparently

doesn't even understand it--you DO have to be certified. In ANY state. No Child Left Behind made that requirement even more stringent than before!

His exact quote was this: "military should be able to--through Troops to Teach--go straight into the classroom without passing all those tests--without the certification that some states require.."

1. Not some states, ALL states.

2. Like I said, NCLB has made this even tougher--you now have to be "highly qualified" and prove it every year or so, even after you are in the classroom.

3. Just the moment before, he was bitching about "bad teachers" and saying they should be put in another line of work, then he's endorsing putting people in the classroom with NO certification whatsoever.

He knows NOTHING on education issues. I mean literally NOTHING. Every time he opens his mouth on that issue, I shake my head.

[NavyDem]

49. If you were talking about me...

I'm not in the program but have considered it. I looked more at the requirements for California, I still need a Bachelors degree or higher to teach in elementary/high school. To teach a vocational school (which is more along the lines of what I would do with my background as a Navy Master Training Specialist), I need at least 24 semester hours of college, plus have to get certified. McCrash certainly missed the mark.

I've known a few of my fellow Navy Instructors that have actually completed the requirements (some in Virginia, some in California) and actually moonlighted as Vocational School Teachers. Note: All of us are long-time Information Technology professionals.

[Erin Elizabeth]

51. No, I think his user name is ALiberalSailor or something like that.

[ecstatic]

28. oh, and don't forget: Bad teachers should be moved to new careers?

MOre details on that plan please... and who would determine who is the good vs. bad teacher? :shrug:

[XemaSab]

29. NO SHIT

That was quite possibly the LOSER of the night, and there were a lot of losers...

[Erin Elizabeth]

30. My jaw literally dropped when he said that.

All my teacher friends started hitting the IM after that, LOL. He lost some votes with that humdinger.

[sammytko]

31. I'm a vet in a regular teacher training program. I refused to go that route. nt

[WinkyDink]

32. Yeah, like they'll NEED more stress.

[firedupdem]

33. I couldn't believe he said that! What the hell is wrong with him? n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

34. McInsane

[spanone]

37. yea, those pesky teacher certifications...that's the problem with our education system

:silly:

[FM Arouet666]

38. Bingo, I thought that was a dumb idea as well

We don't need to spend time educating teachers, all those certificates and courses just get in the way. A soldier can do anything. I just do not understand.

[erinlough]

39. Haven't read every post in this thread so someone might have mentioned this

but this is already in the NCLB law. The last page gives former service people a fast track to teaching. When I saw it in there I couldn't believe it and asked my Superintendent about it, he hadn't seen it either. This is very old news. There are no specifics about what this fast track would be either other than leaving it up to the states. I think this is a very bad idea considering the PTSD I have seen in some of the combat veterans from Iraq. I don't know why McCain brought this up like it is a new idea.

[SeattleGirl]

40. I had the exact same reaction!

:wtf:

Grampy, the cheese really slid off your cracker with that one!

[nomaco-10]

41. That was the craziest things (one of many) he said all night. A real WTF moment. n/t

[stillcool]

42. Yup. Maybe Blackwater will run the schools...

[goletian]

43. exactly. i thought it was ironic that he would call for teachers to be less qualified in light

of discussing how shitty education is in america........

[dana_b]

44. I shook my head in disbelief here

I guess because they're Vets that we don't need to do a background check either. stupid ol' fuck.

[Essene]

45. It is a very good program. They get degrees as they teach, with mentors

It's like the Teaching Fellows programs born out of NYC where highly qualified professionals from other fields are given the option to become teachers.

think Teach for America for non-college students.

It's a good thing.

The folks who do it are not the meat-head marines...

[HughMoran]

46. The CNN ticker went into the GUTTER when he said that

That is a stupid ass policy.

[bluedawg12]

47. And pay with vouchers. McCrazy swings wild again.n/t

[all.of.me]

48. He clearly doesn't know anything about education. nt

[New Dawn]

50. "Troop For America"