Posted by js on September 09, 2002 at 23:38:13:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why should we have to defend teachers? posted by Rick Denney on September 09, 2002 at 21:31:26:
In the real world, many - if not most - businesses and other organizations have discovered the folly of "degrees" and "certification". Most have developed their own tests and criteria for acuity/potential and weigh degrees and certification rather lightly...
...Consider the orchestral musician. Quite often when auditioning players' resumes diplay terminal degrees, audition committee members think, "Oh, I see they couldn't get a gig." whereas in the world of university music instructors, these degrees are the primary consideration for hiring. In the world of universities (particularly government universities), degrees "trump" abilities every time...
...Examine private secondary schools that out-perform surrounding public schools. Of course many other factors enter into this (mostly parents who care), but quite often top-performing private schools have no requirements for certification of their teachers.
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We really cannot expect university teachers and administrators to behave in any other way. After all, how can they sell degrees and at the same time admit that the official-ness of the degrees that they sell is of no value? At least, within their realm, they can pretend that these degrees have official worth.