Dive Brief:
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has suggested that people with work experience should be allowed to take a competency test in order to become licensed to teach.
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According to a spokesperson from the state's Department of Public Instruction, the plan would task the agency with creating an exam that would let individuals with "real life experience" gain certification.
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The idea is set to be included in Walker's two-year budget, which will be presented on Feb. 3.
Dive Insight:
As expected, the proposal was criticized by the statewide teachers union, as well as the spokesman for the Department of Public Instruction. Still, other states have passed similar proposals, contributing to concerns of the de-professionalization of teaching. Yes, it's great to get "real life" people into classrooms — individuals who can share their experiences and inspire — but these individuals should be visitors or guest lecturers and not the day-to-day teacher.
Plans like Walker's tend to devalue the work and pedagogy behind teaching, and assume that standing in front of students and talking all day is all it takes. Would the Governor be OK handing out medical certificates to a "real world" accountant who happened to past a test created by the Department of Public Instruction? Probably not.