Teachers should be rated on their professional focus

I do believe Florida has emerged from the era of the one-room school house. During that era, teachers had to teach all subjects to multiple grade levels. Today, just like in the business and trade worlds, teachers are subject-matter professionals.

The exam to become a certified public accountant tests the candidate's knowledge of the General Accounting Principles; potential lawyers are tested for their knowledge of law, not their knowledge of math or English grammar skills. When you are hiring a plumber, do you expect him to pass an electrician’s exam?

All baccalaureate-seeking college students take the same general required subjects math, English and the humanities in their first two years. The last two years are concentrated with courses in their degree major. In seeking a master's degree, the focus becomes even more intense on their professional major area.

Why does our state school system require English teachers to pass a math exam, and math teachers to pass an English exam? If you were hiring a tutor to help your child with English skills, would you give them a math test? The only people who benefit from this current system are the ones making money from administering the exams and the industry that offers classes to prepare for the testing.

This practice is actually an affront to the Florida university system. The math education graduates should get a refund from their college for not preparing them to pass the English exam for teachers.

There is a significant decline in college students electing teaching as a major. The best and brightest will be attracted to careers where their education and skills are respected and rewarded, and this could be teaching. What is more important than the preparation of our future generations for their journey through life?

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Teachers should be rated on their professional focus."