Standardized Exams

Make a professional what?

SAMPLE
Why do teachers, for example, NEED to be certified in order to teach? I know people who never went to college and others who did not major in education who are great at teaching without having state certification or passing any state exam. So, what is the BIG DEAL about standardized exams?

The big deal is that states want their teachers to demonstrate that they've met a certain minimum requirement of qualification. Standardized exams don't guarantee good teachers, of course; many bad ones slip through the cracks. But there's got to be some screening in place. If you were in charge of hiring a high school teacher and I came to your office and said, "I know my stuff. Just trust me on that..."--would you hire me?

Shapeless
I would you hire you, Shapeless, if you can pass the school test which will not be timed. I hate timed exams. They make me nervous. What are they trying to prove?

Your view?

I don't mind ditching the timer. I don't think it's a crucial part of the screening process. On the other hand, if a teacher is going to be giving timed exams to students, there might be some argument for expecting the teacher to be able to handle the same task.