Quote Originally Posted by Saggy Aggie View Post
I don’t think you understood the point of my post.

I’m not saying all teachers aren’t capable of doing other jobs. Vast majority certainly are. And for those who excel, they would have no problem getting the certifications even if the bar were raised substantially.

What I’m saying is they should make the degrees and certifications more difficult to get. That would force out the mediocre candidates, and the ones who aren’t doing it because teaching is what they love. This would drive up wages for teachers like your wife.....

I think everyone on this thread thinks I’m the bad guy because they aren’t actually reading what I’m saying. I’m saying good teachers are victims of the lax requirements to be a teacher.....
I understand what you're saying about incentives and making it tougher to become a teacher. I don't necessarily agree, though. I just take exception to the insinuation that people only take teacher jobs or nursing jobs because they weren't smart enough to do anything else. That may not have been the way you intended it, but that's the way it came across. That, and the "9 months a year" lie for teachers. My eldest daughter was valedictorian of her class, makes the President's list every semester in college, and yet she actually wants to become a teacher like her mother. She knows she won't get rich doing it but that is her chosen career path, and she will graduate in the spring. My youngest daughter was salutatorian (should have been valedictorian, but that's a whole other story) and has a 98 average in college right now. She has always wanted to be a registered nurse, and I know that she will be. She knows she faces extremely long hours, though the pay is good, but that is what she wants to do. They certainly have my blessing, though either of them are smart enough to be anything they want to be, including a doctor, engineer, accountant, etc.