Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people. The letter from July 26 with the headline, “Plenty with ability to teach” raises the question, why all of the (flaming) hoops to jump through to be, and remain, a teacher?
The requirements for teacher licensure have been eased significantly in recent years, but this hasn’t been enough to relieve the shortage. The letter writer advocates for a further reduction and I agree. The shortage has brought us to a critical point ,where the only practical solution is that becoming a teacher should be no more burdensome than becoming, say, a truck driver. The tradition of teaching requiring a professional license is as dead as a set of hardbound encyclopedias.
I urge the letter writer and others to follow through and come teach. Or at least be a substitute. I have a teaching degree and 25 years of experience. I meet the requirement to be highly qualified. Last year was my first year with the Montezuma-Cortez district and it was one of my most difficult school years ever. It required all of my resources as a trained, experienced educator. And I did it for the salary I was making about 20 years ago in a nearby state.
I’m considering quitting teaching because I think I can make more money doing just about anything else with the bonus of less occupational stress and disrespect. My classroom may be one of the many available for this new tradition of citizen-teachers.
Karl Van Sycle
Cortez
