RE: Teachers

It is important to state that some of our best teachers (with regard to actual talent and enthusiasm)teaching in the classroom are not credentialed and some of our least talented waltz around with a Master's Degree.  I have found almost no correlation between a credential and talent among educators. The Homeschool Movement has profoundly (and embarrassingly) demonstrated that a qualified teacher is an interested, caring adult with a strong understanding of the material that willingly engages with the student.

If the State of California really wants all teachers credentialed they should make it available and affordable and quit heaping expensive college requirements on hard working individuals that can learn the same information through a School District sponsored workshop and by reading a professional journal.  True educators take responsibility for acquiring the knowledge they need to meet the diverse needs of the children and adults they serve.