Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

[longknife]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

 

[Luddly Neddite]

"... as god intended..."

That's just plain stupid.

 

[Unkotare]

Critical thinking is not "dead," and the rest of the hyperbole is just silly.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Posting that statement in a thread you started on homeschooling is the ultimate in irony!

 

[bodecea]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Go right ahead...it's your right.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

I agree with you re: making it sound religious. While I am religious, my religion has nothing to do with my decision to homeschool my children. I chose to do so primarily because I wouldn't send my dog to the local public schools for obedience training, let alone entrust them with any of my precious offspring. My kids took (or take, in the case of the youngest, who's still in school) regular assessment tests to be certain that they are meeting the minimum requirements for their grade level. When I gave Quinlan, my 8-year-old, the assessment test for someone COMPLETING the second grade at the beginning of the year, he was actually offended. He thought I was insulting his intelligence with such easy questions.

Am I really going to waste his formative years having him barely educated to the level of Cletus, the Slack-Jawed Yokel who sits in the back of the room, eating paste? Yeah, I don't think so.

 

[BuckToothMoron]

"... as god intended..."

That's just plain stupid.

Yea, I guess it depends on your God. I mean if it's Allah then that would explain all these devout Islamic terrorist.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Posting that statement in a thread you started on homeschooling is the ultimate in irony!

Oh, I don't know. I receive regular mail from the local school district regarding my child who will not be attending their idiot factories, and I have been known - when I'm in a bad mood - to proofread them in large, red marks and then mail them back with the message, "This is why he's homeschooled!"

Furthermore, here are the requirements to be an elementary school teacher in my son's district, cut and pasted directly from the job advertisement on the school district website:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Arizona Elementary Certificate
Current Arizona IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
Demonstrated success in engaging African American and Latino students
Bilingual (Spanish) endorsement

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AFTER HIRE
Proof of immunity to rubeola (measles) and rubella (German measles), or proof of MMR immunization.

For the record, here are the requirements to obtain an Arizona Elementary Certificate, also cut and pasted directly from the website:

4. A Bachelor’s or more advanced degree from an accredited institution. Official transcript(s) required.

5. Option A or B: A. Completion of a teacher preparation program in elementary education from an accredited institution or a Boardapproved teacher preparation program. B. Forty-five (45) semester hours of education courses from an accredited institution including at least 8 semester hours of practicum in grades 1-8. Two years of verified full-time teaching experience in grades Prekindergarten - 8 may be substituted for the 8 semester hours of practicum. Submit a Verification of Teaching Experience form signed by the District Superintendent or Personnel/HR Director to verify teaching experience. Courses which teach the knowledge and skills described in the professional teaching standards such as learning theory, classroom management, methods and assessment are acceptable.

6. Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES or AEPA Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Elementary exam. B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a photocopy of the certificate.

7. Subject Knowledge Elementary Education Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES Subject Knowledge Elementary Education (Subtest I and II) or the AEPA Subject Knowledge exam (replaced by the NES assessment). B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a copy of the certificate.

8. Arizona Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

9. U.S. Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

Please note, first of all, that the Arizona Department of Education couldn't even be bothered to proofread their own website.

(The first three items, which I skipped, were simply an application form, the fee, and fingerprint ID card, in case you were wondering.)

Now, then. We start with a Bachelor's degree. The certification doesn't require any particular subject. You can theoretically have a degree in Modern Dance, "Womyns'" Studies, or Underwater Basket Weaving, and still qualify for a teaching certificate. In fact, the vast majority of applicants have degrees in Elementary Education, rather than specializing in any actual subject. Basically, if you can get a prep program to accept you and send you out as a teaching assistant for a few semesters, it really doesn't matter if you don't know more about basic academics than your average high school student.

Then there's the Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. This is cut from the AEPA website:

The AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is given to assess competence for teaching on the elementary level in Arizona public schools. The test covers three sections. The first is counted as 36% of the test and covers Student Development and Learning. The test taker will answer questions on topics such as how to use an understanding of human development and learning processes to foster student learning, to design a learning environment for all students, and to promote learning in diverse populations of students.

Instructional Planning and Management, 45%, covers techniques of curriculum development and instruction, methods of teaching and assessment to reach learning goals, and promotion of positive behavior and social interactions. The last section on the AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is Professional Environment, 19%. The test taker must be able to effectively communicate with parents/guardians and other people within the community, including homeschoolers, and understand the professional ethics required of an Arizona public school teacher.

Look, I appreciate the idea of teachers being able to prevent their classroom full of students from killing each other. Really, I do. And I would assume the "ethics" part covers not molesting your students or beating them, so great. But noticeably, we still haven't said word one about actually knowing anything about the subject matter.

That brings us to the Subject Knowledge Education Exam. I am including a link to the study guides for the AEPA test, which was replaced by the NES test, but is still recommended as the study guide for applicants to use:

Study Guide

Suffice it to say that, except for the foreign languages, this isn't exactly the SATs. There isn't a single one of them (again, except for the foreign languages) that I couldn't pass simply by showing up. And yet, a disturbingly large number of people cannot pass the test on the first try, or cannot pass it when asked to do so again after having taught for a few years. The number of failing schools in this state has tripled over the last few years, and all the AZ Department of Education can do is shrug and say, "Well, we've changed the testing method, so that's probably why". If one happens to live in one of the handful of areas in the school district with an "Average" rating, you're doing really good, and you're probably rich. Most of the schools in TUSD rank as "Below Average".

Oh, and the required classes on the US Constitution and the AZ Constitution? I took both of them my first semester of college, practically snoozed through them, and got a 4.0 in both.

So yeah, it's completely believable that there are teachers who don't know much more about their subjects than their students do.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Posting that statement in a thread you started on homeschooling is the ultimate in irony!

Oh, I don't know. I receive regular mail from the local school district regarding my child who will not be attending their idiot factories, and I have been known - when I'm in a bad mood - to proofread them in large, red marks and then mail them back with the message, "This is why he's homeschooled!"

Furthermore, here are the requirements to be an elementary school teacher in my son's district, cut and pasted directly from the job advertisement on the school district website:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Arizona Elementary Certificate
Current Arizona IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
Demonstrated success in engaging African American and Latino students
Bilingual (Spanish) endorsement

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AFTER HIRE
Proof of immunity to rubeola (measles) and rubella (German measles), or proof of MMR immunization.

For the record, here are the requirements to obtain an Arizona Elementary Certificate, also cut and pasted directly from the website:

4. A Bachelor’s or more advanced degree from an accredited institution. Official transcript(s) required.

5. Option A or B: A. Completion of a teacher preparation program in elementary education from an accredited institution or a Boardapproved teacher preparation program. B. Forty-five (45) semester hours of education courses from an accredited institution including at least 8 semester hours of practicum in grades 1-8. Two years of verified full-time teaching experience in grades Prekindergarten - 8 may be substituted for the 8 semester hours of practicum. Submit a Verification of Teaching Experience form signed by the District Superintendent or Personnel/HR Director to verify teaching experience. Courses which teach the knowledge and skills described in the professional teaching standards such as learning theory, classroom management, methods and assessment are acceptable.

6. Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES or AEPA Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Elementary exam. B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a photocopy of the certificate.

7. Subject Knowledge Elementary Education Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES Subject Knowledge Elementary Education (Subtest I and II) or the AEPA Subject Knowledge exam (replaced by the NES assessment). B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a copy of the certificate.

8. Arizona Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

9. U.S. Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

Please note, first of all, that the Arizona Department of Education couldn't even be bothered to proofread their own website.

(The first three items, which I skipped, were simply an application form, the fee, and fingerprint ID card, in case you were wondering.)

Now, then. We start with a Bachelor's degree. The certification doesn't require any particular subject. You can theoretically have a degree in Modern Dance, "Womyns'" Studies, or Underwater Basket Weaving, and still qualify for a teaching certificate. In fact, the vast majority of applicants have degrees in Elementary Education, rather than specializing in any actual subject. Basically, if you can get a prep program to accept you and send you out as a teaching assistant for a few semesters, it really doesn't matter if you don't know more about basic academics than your average high school student.

Then there's the Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. This is cut from the AEPA website:

The AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is given to assess competence for teaching on the elementary level in Arizona public schools. The test covers three sections. The first is counted as 36% of the test and covers Student Development and Learning. The test taker will answer questions on topics such as how to use an understanding of human development and learning processes to foster student learning, to design a learning environment for all students, and to promote learning in diverse populations of students.

Instructional Planning and Management, 45%, covers techniques of curriculum development and instruction, methods of teaching and assessment to reach learning goals, and promotion of positive behavior and social interactions. The last section on the AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is Professional Environment, 19%. The test taker must be able to effectively communicate with parents/guardians and other people within the community, including homeschoolers, and understand the professional ethics required of an Arizona public school teacher.

Look, I appreciate the idea of teachers being able to prevent their classroom full of students from killing each other. Really, I do. And I would assume the "ethics" part covers not molesting your students or beating them, so great. But noticeably, we still haven't said word one about actually knowing anything about the subject matter.

That brings us to the Subject Knowledge Education Exam. I am including a link to the study guides for the AEPA test, which was replaced by the NES test, but is still recommended as the study guide for applicants to use:

Study Guide

Suffice it to say that, except for the foreign languages, this isn't exactly the SATs. There isn't a single one of them (again, except for the foreign languages) that I couldn't pass simply by showing up. And yet, a disturbingly large number of people cannot pass the test on the first try, or cannot pass it when asked to do so again after having taught for a few years. The number of failing schools in this state has tripled over the last few years, and all the AZ Department of Education can do is shrug and say, "Well, we've changed the testing method, so that's probably why". If one happens to live in one of the handful of areas in the school district with an "Average" rating, you're doing really good, and you're probably rich. Most of the schools in TUSD rank as "Below Average".

Oh, and the required classes on the US Constitution and the AZ Constitution? I took both of them my first semester of college, practically snoozed through them, and got a 4.0 in both.

So yeah, it's completely believable that there are teachers who don't know much more about their subjects than their students do.

You are a simply a teacher wannabe. I cannot believe you wasted your time posting all of that just to prove yourself an idiot.

You are clueless as to these requirements and have zero understanding of their importance.

When I became a teacher, I was tested on college level general knowledge type of questions. I was also tested on my two subject areas, but that was for high school. Those were especially difficult since I took them 13 years after graduating from college.

Most people who teach elementary school graduated from high school and college with enough background to teach elementary subjects. I know I did, but the tests you are describing probably contain many questions regarding child psychology, the theory of learning, etc. That's not simple for some people. I took what is called the Professional Educators Exam which is probably similar.

I think your post just illustrates why we should leave education to the professionals and not some homeschooler with little to no formal training on how to teach.

I could probably tear your ass up in either one of my subjects. Can you say the same about any other topics?

 

[Cecilie1200]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Posting that statement in a thread you started on homeschooling is the ultimate in irony!

Oh, I don't know. I receive regular mail from the local school district regarding my child who will not be attending their idiot factories, and I have been known - when I'm in a bad mood - to proofread them in large, red marks and then mail them back with the message, "This is why he's homeschooled!"

Furthermore, here are the requirements to be an elementary school teacher in my son's district, cut and pasted directly from the job advertisement on the school district website:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Arizona Elementary Certificate
Current Arizona IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
Demonstrated success in engaging African American and Latino students
Bilingual (Spanish) endorsement

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AFTER HIRE
Proof of immunity to rubeola (measles) and rubella (German measles), or proof of MMR immunization.

For the record, here are the requirements to obtain an Arizona Elementary Certificate, also cut and pasted directly from the website:

4. A Bachelor’s or more advanced degree from an accredited institution. Official transcript(s) required.

5. Option A or B: A. Completion of a teacher preparation program in elementary education from an accredited institution or a Boardapproved teacher preparation program. B. Forty-five (45) semester hours of education courses from an accredited institution including at least 8 semester hours of practicum in grades 1-8. Two years of verified full-time teaching experience in grades Prekindergarten - 8 may be substituted for the 8 semester hours of practicum. Submit a Verification of Teaching Experience form signed by the District Superintendent or Personnel/HR Director to verify teaching experience. Courses which teach the knowledge and skills described in the professional teaching standards such as learning theory, classroom management, methods and assessment are acceptable.

6. Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES or AEPA Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Elementary exam. B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a photocopy of the certificate.

7. Subject Knowledge Elementary Education Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES Subject Knowledge Elementary Education (Subtest I and II) or the AEPA Subject Knowledge exam (replaced by the NES assessment). B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a copy of the certificate.

8. Arizona Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

9. U.S. Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

Please note, first of all, that the Arizona Department of Education couldn't even be bothered to proofread their own website.

(The first three items, which I skipped, were simply an application form, the fee, and fingerprint ID card, in case you were wondering.)

Now, then. We start with a Bachelor's degree. The certification doesn't require any particular subject. You can theoretically have a degree in Modern Dance, "Womyns'" Studies, or Underwater Basket Weaving, and still qualify for a teaching certificate. In fact, the vast majority of applicants have degrees in Elementary Education, rather than specializing in any actual subject. Basically, if you can get a prep program to accept you and send you out as a teaching assistant for a few semesters, it really doesn't matter if you don't know more about basic academics than your average high school student.

Then there's the Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. This is cut from the AEPA website:

The AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is given to assess competence for teaching on the elementary level in Arizona public schools. The test covers three sections. The first is counted as 36% of the test and covers Student Development and Learning. The test taker will answer questions on topics such as how to use an understanding of human development and learning processes to foster student learning, to design a learning environment for all students, and to promote learning in diverse populations of students.

Instructional Planning and Management, 45%, covers techniques of curriculum development and instruction, methods of teaching and assessment to reach learning goals, and promotion of positive behavior and social interactions. The last section on the AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is Professional Environment, 19%. The test taker must be able to effectively communicate with parents/guardians and other people within the community, including homeschoolers, and understand the professional ethics required of an Arizona public school teacher.

Look, I appreciate the idea of teachers being able to prevent their classroom full of students from killing each other. Really, I do. And I would assume the "ethics" part covers not molesting your students or beating them, so great. But noticeably, we still haven't said word one about actually knowing anything about the subject matter.

That brings us to the Subject Knowledge Education Exam. I am including a link to the study guides for the AEPA test, which was replaced by the NES test, but is still recommended as the study guide for applicants to use:

Study Guide

Suffice it to say that, except for the foreign languages, this isn't exactly the SATs. There isn't a single one of them (again, except for the foreign languages) that I couldn't pass simply by showing up. And yet, a disturbingly large number of people cannot pass the test on the first try, or cannot pass it when asked to do so again after having taught for a few years. The number of failing schools in this state has tripled over the last few years, and all the AZ Department of Education can do is shrug and say, "Well, we've changed the testing method, so that's probably why". If one happens to live in one of the handful of areas in the school district with an "Average" rating, you're doing really good, and you're probably rich. Most of the schools in TUSD rank as "Below Average".

Oh, and the required classes on the US Constitution and the AZ Constitution? I took both of them my first semester of college, practically snoozed through them, and got a 4.0 in both.

So yeah, it's completely believable that there are teachers who don't know much more about their subjects than their students do.

You are a simply a teacher wannabe. I cannot believe you wasted your time posting all of that just to prove yourself an idiot.

You are clueless as to these requirements and have zero understanding of their importance.

When I became a teacher, I was tested on college level general knowledge type of questions. I was also tested on my two subject areas, but that was for high school. Those were especially difficult since I took them 13 years after graduating from college.

Most people who teach elementary school graduated from high school and college with enough background to teach elementary subjects. I know I did, but the tests you are describing probably contain many questions regarding child psychology, the theory of learning, etc. That's not simple for some people. I took what is called the Professional Educators Exam which is probably similar.

I think your post just illustrates why we should leave education to the professionals and not some homeschooler with little to no formal training on how to teach.

I could probably tear your ass up in either one of my subjects. Can you say the same about any other topics?

You realize this means nothing, coming from someone who responds to an actual listing of the requirements by saying, "You are clueless as to these requirements", right?

You can tell me what YOU were tested on umpty-um years ago until your face turns blue. It isn't going to make a bit of difference in regards to the actual test samples I provided.

If "most people graduate from high school and college with enough background to teach elementary subjects", how come so many of them can't pass the tests? As I said (and as you can see from the actual samples provided), these aren't the SATs.

The Professional Knowledge Exam is the one that covers psychology, theory of learning, blah blah blah. You didn't even read my post, did you? You just kneejerked into "How DARE you suggest that teachers are repositories of vast, mystical knowledge that no measly parent could POSSIBLY have, much less better?"

I think your post just illustrates why I wouldn't leave my precious children in the hands of so-called professionals if you held a gun to my head.

Meanwhile, my 8-year-old is reading Ivanhoe, can do multi-digit multiplication and fractions in his head, and can spout facts about galaxies and black holes until your ears bleed. Sure is a shame he's got "some homeschooler with no formal training on how to teach", huh? I'm sure the local public school would have him MUCH farther along in his subjects, right?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I liked everything about this article except the part of making it appear to be a religious imperative. The most important source for a child's education has been, is, and always will be the family. Elders should share their experience and learning with the young. And, in this age of technology and the internet, the family should be the ones to guide their children to the appropriate sources of information.

Our current educational system has been bent more and more towards progressiveness and globalism. We find more and more educators who are not fully qualified to teach the subjects they are assigned to teach.

Independent critical thinking has also been removed from public education K through college. Teachers and professors demand total brain-dead submission to their leftist point-of-view. Free-thinking students are demeaned and even physically assaulted by fellow students.

The full essay is @ Articles: Homeschooling: Restoring Parents' Right to Raise Their Children as God Intended

Posting that statement in a thread you started on homeschooling is the ultimate in irony!

Oh, I don't know. I receive regular mail from the local school district regarding my child who will not be attending their idiot factories, and I have been known - when I'm in a bad mood - to proofread them in large, red marks and then mail them back with the message, "This is why he's homeschooled!"

Furthermore, here are the requirements to be an elementary school teacher in my son's district, cut and pasted directly from the job advertisement on the school district website:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Arizona Elementary Certificate
Current Arizona IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
Demonstrated success in engaging African American and Latino students
Bilingual (Spanish) endorsement

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AFTER HIRE
Proof of immunity to rubeola (measles) and rubella (German measles), or proof of MMR immunization.

For the record, here are the requirements to obtain an Arizona Elementary Certificate, also cut and pasted directly from the website:

4. A Bachelor’s or more advanced degree from an accredited institution. Official transcript(s) required.

5. Option A or B: A. Completion of a teacher preparation program in elementary education from an accredited institution or a Boardapproved teacher preparation program. B. Forty-five (45) semester hours of education courses from an accredited institution including at least 8 semester hours of practicum in grades 1-8. Two years of verified full-time teaching experience in grades Prekindergarten - 8 may be substituted for the 8 semester hours of practicum. Submit a Verification of Teaching Experience form signed by the District Superintendent or Personnel/HR Director to verify teaching experience. Courses which teach the knowledge and skills described in the professional teaching standards such as learning theory, classroom management, methods and assessment are acceptable.

6. Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES or AEPA Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Elementary exam. B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a photocopy of the certificate.

7. Subject Knowledge Elementary Education Exam. One of the following (Option A or B): A. A passing score on the NES Subject Knowledge Elementary Education (Subtest I and II) or the AEPA Subject Knowledge exam (replaced by the NES assessment). B. A valid comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a copy of the certificate.

8. Arizona Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

9. U.S. Constitution (a college course or the appropriate examination).

Please note, first of all, that the Arizona Department of Education couldn't even be bothered to proofread their own website.

(The first three items, which I skipped, were simply an application form, the fee, and fingerprint ID card, in case you were wondering.)

Now, then. We start with a Bachelor's degree. The certification doesn't require any particular subject. You can theoretically have a degree in Modern Dance, "Womyns'" Studies, or Underwater Basket Weaving, and still qualify for a teaching certificate. In fact, the vast majority of applicants have degrees in Elementary Education, rather than specializing in any actual subject. Basically, if you can get a prep program to accept you and send you out as a teaching assistant for a few semesters, it really doesn't matter if you don't know more about basic academics than your average high school student.

Then there's the Professional Knowledge Elementary Exam. This is cut from the AEPA website:

The AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is given to assess competence for teaching on the elementary level in Arizona public schools. The test covers three sections. The first is counted as 36% of the test and covers Student Development and Learning. The test taker will answer questions on topics such as how to use an understanding of human development and learning processes to foster student learning, to design a learning environment for all students, and to promote learning in diverse populations of students.

Instructional Planning and Management, 45%, covers techniques of curriculum development and instruction, methods of teaching and assessment to reach learning goals, and promotion of positive behavior and social interactions. The last section on the AEPA Professional Knowledge-Elementary Exam is Professional Environment, 19%. The test taker must be able to effectively communicate with parents/guardians and other people within the community, including homeschoolers, and understand the professional ethics required of an Arizona public school teacher.

Look, I appreciate the idea of teachers being able to prevent their classroom full of students from killing each other. Really, I do. And I would assume the "ethics" part covers not molesting your students or beating them, so great. But noticeably, we still haven't said word one about actually knowing anything about the subject matter.

That brings us to the Subject Knowledge Education Exam. I am including a link to the study guides for the AEPA test, which was replaced by the NES test, but is still recommended as the study guide for applicants to use:

Study Guide

Suffice it to say that, except for the foreign languages, this isn't exactly the SATs. There isn't a single one of them (again, except for the foreign languages) that I couldn't pass simply by showing up. And yet, a disturbingly large number of people cannot pass the test on the first try, or cannot pass it when asked to do so again after having taught for a few years. The number of failing schools in this state has tripled over the last few years, and all the AZ Department of Education can do is shrug and say, "Well, we've changed the testing method, so that's probably why". If one happens to live in one of the handful of areas in the school district with an "Average" rating, you're doing really good, and you're probably rich. Most of the schools in TUSD rank as "Below Average".

Oh, and the required classes on the US Constitution and the AZ Constitution? I took both of them my first semester of college, practically snoozed through them, and got a 4.0 in both.

So yeah, it's completely believable that there are teachers who don't know much more about their subjects than their students do.

You are a simply a teacher wannabe. I cannot believe you wasted your time posting all of that just to prove yourself an idiot.

You are clueless as to these requirements and have zero understanding of their importance.

When I became a teacher, I was tested on college level general knowledge type of questions. I was also tested on my two subject areas, but that was for high school. Those were especially difficult since I took them 13 years after graduating from college.

Most people who teach elementary school graduated from high school and college with enough background to teach elementary subjects. I know I did, but the tests you are describing probably contain many questions regarding child psychology, the theory of learning, etc. That's not simple for some people. I took what is called the Professional Educators Exam which is probably similar.

I think your post just illustrates why we should leave education to the professionals and not some homeschooler with little to no formal training on how to teach.

I could probably tear your ass up in either one of my subjects. Can you say the same about any other topics?

You realize this means nothing, coming from someone who responds to an actual listing of the requirements by saying, "You are clueless as to these requirements", right?

You can tell me what YOU were tested on umpty-um years ago until your face turns blue. It isn't going to make a bit of difference in regards to the actual test samples I provided.

If "most people graduate from high school and college with enough background to teach elementary subjects", how come so many of them can't pass the tests? As I said (and as you can see from the actual samples provided), these aren't the SATs.

The Professional Knowledge Exam is the one that covers psychology, theory of learning, blah blah blah. You didn't even read my post, did you? You just kneejerked into "How DARE you suggest that teachers are repositories of vast, mystical knowledge that no measly parent could POSSIBLY have, much less better?"

I think your post just illustrates why I wouldn't leave my precious children in the hands of so-called professionals if you held a gun to my head.

Meanwhile, my 8-year-old is reading Ivanhoe, can do multi-digit multiplication and fractions in his head, and can spout facts about galaxies and black holes until your ears bleed. Sure is a shame he's got "some homeschooler with no formal training on how to teach", huh? I'm sure the local public school would have him MUCH farther along in his subjects, right?

I guess reading comprehension skipped a generation in your family. If your son is doing well, what happened to you. You did not provide any examples of elementary level questions.

I addressed your comments because you simply do not understand what you read. I am glad you are a college-educated and willing to take on the task of educating your child. You may very well be successful, but in my experience home schooled children usually are failed by their parents because they do not prepare their children for life after school. For every one of your children, there are far more who use homeschooling as a dodge for mandatory attendance laws until the children are old enough to legally drop out.

I have an eight year-old grandson who lives with me. He can do things just like your son because he has college educated grandparents and a mother who works very hard to see he learns. He is not missing anything by being in a public school. The parents of the other kids in public schools abandoned their responsibilities a long time ago. I know because I see it every day.

You are probably doing a wonderful job with your children, but don't broad brush the entire process just because you think you can do it. Get off your ass and go do it!

By the way, are you bilingual? If not, you might know why your schools might be struggling.