From: Gautam Mukunda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: Killer Bs Discussion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Killer Bs Discussion <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: The War on Schools Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 16:26:08 -0800 (PST)
--- Jon Gabriel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > While a high school teacher for ancient history or > English may not require > CE courses they are most certainly relevant and in > fact crucial for science > teachers (especially bio & chem). New advances in > the sciences routinely > invalidate our current knowledge in many fields > every 5-7 years or so. > Those textbooks are revised for a reason. I really > cannot imagine any > education researcher worthy their salt not > acknowledging that and > understanding the reasoning behind the need for > continuing education for > most educators. Doctors and pharmacists take CE > credits for the same > reason. > Jon
I didn't say CE in _knowledge areas_, which I'm entirely in favor of (although, so far as I am aware, it's something that the unions are opposed to).
Oh.
*grin*
Well, I didn't get that, obviously. :)
Something approaching a numerical majority of American science teachers (IIRC) did not, in fact, major in their subject in college, sadly enough.
This is something I definitely will try to find a cite on. I didn't know that, and if accurate, it's rather upsetting.
I was talking about the (extremely) useless entrance requirement teacher certification courses that anyone who wants to teach in a public school must pass.
I know verrry little about these. My wife is familiar with 'em. (Her response to the question of 'did you have to take entry cert courses'? was something rather unprintable in a family forum.) *grin*
The physics teacher who taught our Mathematical Physics course in HS (using the Feynman Lectures as a textbook - God, just thinking about that year makes my brain hurt)
Been there. My commiseration and sympathies. Feynman was brilliant and sadistic. I still have the texts in hardcover, too -- they weigh a ton. :)
used to show up and then vanish, being replaced by a "consultant" (an actual physicist) who would teach the course - this arrangement being necessary because the "consultant", despite having a PhD in Physics and enough different papers published that he probably could have gotten tenure at a middle-tier university, was technically not "qualified" to teach a class. Had he wished to teach in a private school (or charter school, now) he would have been accepted without a second thought. My own experience was similar.
Interesting. I didn't know this until a couple of minutes ago, but the private school my wife was at last year had two teachers on payroll who were not certified. The computer teacher (who was also the resident network tech) and one of the gym teachers. Apparently quite good at their jobs. I'm sure the student's families weren't informed.
Jon
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