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[The water cooler - What Eastsiders are talking about - By Ann Garretson]

"Should the state test teachers for competency before they're
allowed in the classroom?"
(asked at the Redmond Library on 02-04-99; published in the EJ on 02-07-99)


[pt.]Doug Winker, Sales, Lynnwood
[blue rule]
"Yes, I think so. Obviously to make sure the teachers know what they're doing."

[pt.]Javi Ojeda, High school senior, Duvall
[blue rule]
"To me, yeah, because if they know more, they'll teach you more. But it's fine right now. All the math teachers I've had have known more."

[pt.]Pamela Erdy, Mother of two, Redmond
[blue rule]
"I think they should and the reason is that teachers come from many different schools and schools have different academic standards. I think a standardized test is a good way of verifying their qualifications and comparing individual performance."

[pt.]Lee Lorang, Realtor, Bellevue
[blue rule]
"I don't think teachers are the issue. I think schools are the issue -- public schools. There's no discipline in public schools. Class sizes are too large. There's not enough involvement with parents. The PTA is not the organization it used to be. They're governed too much by management and the WEA. And public schools don't have values... The issue is not testing teachers -- they should be competent. The issue is the situation is broken and competency testing isn't going to fix it."

[pt.]Tiki McAleer, Housewife & library volunteer, Redmond
[blue rule]
"Absolutely. I wouldn't want my child going to any teacher who doesn't have the credentials, who wasn't capable of teaching. My children -- my grandchildren at this point -- well, I'm very concerned about their education."

[pt.]Kathy Wroblewski, Library volunteer & mother-to-be, Bothell
[blue rule]
"I don't think they should have to as long as they went to school, they have the certificate. It's all the same teaching, they all teach the same material, and they all learn the same thing in school."

 

[blue rule]

© 1999 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal newspaper.

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