The Indiana State Board of Education is proposing a teaching license that would allow college graduates with good grades and work experience to become classroom teachers. According to the Board:

“Candidates would need to hold a bachelor’s degree with a B-average in the content area they want to teach, pass a content test and have work experience in the subject they want to teach. The teacher also would need to begin training on instructional methods by the first month they enter a classroom.”

Imagine that–teachers who know their subjects as opposed to pedagogical fads. Sounds great, unless you are in the Indiana State Teachers Association. Members feel that the new license “cheapens the profession”:

“To allow someone to simply pass a test and demonstrate knowledge of a particular content area in no way qualifies them to be teaching children in a classroom.”

I can think of numerous punch lines here. How about – given the proliferation of high stakes testing in K-12 education, having considerable skill in passing tests is the perfect preparation for modern teachers.

Insert more punch lines below if you like.