Did McCain REALLY say that we should no longer certify teachers?

[Pab Sungenis]

One of the people I watched the debate with, who is studying to become a teacher himself, screamed that during McCain's answer to the education question, and kept going on it all night.

I thought that's what it sounded like myself, but I can't be certain. DID McCain actually say that we should do away with requiring teachers to receive certification?

[Aloha Spirit]

1. Yes, only for troops though. I think he called it "troops to teachers"

[Realityhack]

27. Because the military trains teachers so well n/t

[NotThisTime]

30. Exactly, they're more than qualified to teach students, Math, Science, English, you name it

Who the hell would think THIS was a good idea???

[deadparrot]

2. He definitely mentioned allowing members of the military to teach

without certification.

[TheCoxwain]

7. DO YOU UNDERSTAND KIDSS >>> I WANT A LOUD > YESSSS SIRRR>> DO YOU UNDERSTAND

[Virginia Dare]

18. I guess that's okay if you're talking about boot camp..

not so sure if that's appropriate otherwise.

[deadparrot]

25. Assuming you go through the proper training/certification

and adhere to the ethical standards demanded of ALL teachers, I don't have a problem with current or former soldiers entering the education field--in fact, I applaud it. But the training process is absolutely crucial--contrary to what some on the right believe, serving in the military does NOT automatically qualify you for any job.

[skooooo]

3. Sure what's the problem??

Why should anyone know about child psychology and learning styles to teach?
:sarcasm:

[gmoney]

19. I always learn better at gunpoint...

[GAtomboy]

4. Yep pretty much

He wants to do away with those pesky tests and teacher certifications.

We were laughing while watching the debate - it sounds like he wants to take soldiers straight from the battle fields and plop them in a classroom as a teacher.

[insanity]

5. My girlfriend, who teaches government to teen-moms, also screamed

The answer for our broken education system is to put people in the classroom who have never been certified to teach?

[SunsetDreams]

6. He was referring to

servicemen and women leaving the military and becoming civilian teachers. They shouldn't have to certify to become teachers.

That is ludicrous!!!! I value our military men and women, but they should have to certify just like everyone else.

I don't want anyone teaching my child who isn't certified, I don't care who they are.

[GAtomboy]

11. I agree completely

I'm in school (career change) getting my degree in education. I wouldn't want my child in a classroom with a teacher who hasn't been certified. What's next McCain? Do away with background checks?

[treestar]

15. The idea is so absurd, what is McCrypt thinking?

that militarizing the schools will result and that will be a good thing?

[gkhouston]

8. He said something about a "troops to teachers" program, which sounded

like you'd be taking soldiers who'd just returned from the Middle East and putting them in a classroom. I guess Johnny would at least learn how to spell PTSD...

My guess is that there will be a reciprocal program: if you're a teacher and you don't meet the standard somehow, they'll ship your ass off to Iraq. It'll be the "chalk to cannon-fodder" initiative. :grr:

[nxylas]

23. There are already troops to teachers programs in place

I'm pretty sure they have to get certified, though. They may be able to teach while working towards their certification, I dunno.

[LisaM]

9. This is one of my big beefs with charter schools and vouchers

I'm sure that certfiying teachers, period, is on the Republicans' hit list.

There was a terrible incident in Seattle with an industry guy coming in to teach kids about computers or math or something. He absolutely did not know how to handle it when a situation occurred with a kid saying, "that's so gay". He sent him out of the room and then referred to the kid outside by the "n" word. His claim was that he was just making a point, but needless to say, people were outraged on a number of levels, not least of which was that he was supposed to be the adult in the situation. It just proved (to me, though I didn't need proof anyway) that teaching is a profession, not just something people do.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. One anecdote is not exactly telling.

Shall we dredge up all of the horrific actions taken by certified teachers, such as sexual molestation?

[LisaM]

24. Certainly not. I just think teachers should be certified.

There are bad eggs in every profession. But I don't see a problem with having professional standards. There are wicked nurses, too, who poison patients. Does that mean anyone should be able to be a nurse?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

31. I don't have a problem with teacher certification. The process is awful, however.

My wife has a degree in Physics and will have a masters in Education by year's end. She would not be certified to teach 5th grade math.

That, in a nutshell, is lunacy.

We need a process so that we're certifying people who have some idea on how to actually teach, but with some common sense as to what they're eligible to teach, based on their other qualifications.

Furthermore, no one bothers to take a look at the quality of teacher education, which is flatly abysmal. It doesn't prepare teachers one whit for what they might actually encounter in a classroom, nor does it teach them anything practical about how to handle difficult situations. The entirety of the curriculum is lesson plans and philosophy, which is nice, but really does not adequately prepare anyone for anything.

[BlueGirlRedState]

10. That's what I heard , too

I turned to my 11-year-old daughter watching the debate with me and I said, "Did he really say he was going to do away with teacher certification?"

[Lucky 13]

12. I think he said that the soldier to teacher program shouldn't require tests or certification.

I respect soldiers tremendously, but being a soldier does not make you qualified to be a teacher. Or President.

Republicans are so stupid. They think any jackass off the street can be a teacher. Teaching kids is stressful - they are experts at detecting weakness, challenging, and pushing buttons. Can't you just see an former soldier, untrained in education, child psychology, or classroom management... unprepared for what he's walking into... snapping and having some sort of PTSD related incident?

[no_hypocrisy]

13. If you remove the requirement of certification for teachers, wouldn't that allow

parents who homeschool to compromise the futures of children outside their family by giving them a classroom?

[southpaw]

14. I heard that!

I immediately pictured Sam Kennison as the psychotic professor in "Back to School" shouting obscenities at his classroom.

Kennison's character was a veteran who didn't fare well in the war and had the mental disorders to prove it. (sounds a bit like a certain Senator from AZ)

Imagine that same character teaching elementary level science!

[Chloroplast]

16. He just rambled towards the end of the debate.

He called our country's educational problems the 'Civil Rights Movement of the 21st Century', said that horrible teachers should find a new line of work and that troops should be allowed to teach without certification. There was no pause, there was no reflection upon the words tumbling from his mouth; he just talked to fill time. Unless McCain's intent is for every student getting a public school education to be trained for military purposes, he came off as unstable. Just like GWB said in 2000.

[woodsprite]

17. I made a comment to hubby about that - saying "Yeah, because

everyone knows that killing Iraqis, hand-to-hand combat and teaching kids are all so similar. Why should they think they need to be certified?"

[Virginia Dare]

20. I also noticed that he talked about fitness programs for kids as well..

where does the money come from for that?

[paregdem]

22. Uncertified Teachers Statement (transcript link attached)

McCain...
"We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states."


Debate Transcript:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.transcript/index.html

[SemiCharmedQuark]

26. Thanks, I was looking for this.

[Yes We Did]

28. Yeah... that dumbfounded me too. n/t

[LibraLiz1973]

29. As a teacher, I was completely gob-smacked by that.

They shouldn't have to get their certifications??? IS HE KIDDING?

Yeah John... that will REALLY help the education system.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

32. That's a big thing among the semi-literate crowd.

They argue that the problem with schools these days is that teachers need certification. What we need is more teachers who aren't qualified.