David Boies plans to strip teachers of due process rights state by state.

[Sancho]

13. I've been hearing these stories for a long time and I don't believe it....

(My wife and I are in the 38th year of teaching at all levels in 3 states). Honestly, even in the 70's I saw a science teacher removed for competence. For decades teachers have been required to pass content tests in almost all states after obtaining a major in whatever subject they teach.

The only content knowledge issues that typically occur are when people are hired for some other reason (like coaching) or are assigned out of field by the administration. Most teachers (especially math and science) are pretty well trained. Very few stay in the job because they can walk out and double their salary any time they want. Believe me, I've done it when ever I need money for the mortgage!

What is much more often a problem are people hired on alternative/temporary certificates because they were engineers or scientists and they don't have a credential and they are terrible teachers. I'm a third generation family of STEM teachers (my original certificate was science) before I went to grad school. I can tell you that even university professors in math and science are often TERRIBLE teachers because they don't understand learning processes at all.

The vast majority of certified teachers are pretty good, especially after they get 3 to 5 years experience.

I've seen teachers "non-renewed" in every school I taught in if they were truly bad, committed a crime, or generated complaints from parents. In today's schools, you can be non-renewed or transferred simply because the test scores aren't good even if you didn't do anything except a good job!! If you are put on permanent substitute, you'll probably quit anyway.