McCain's "Troops to Teachers"???

I have a question for the Republicans and/or McCain supporters out there. I hope you can answer something for me that has been bothering me since the last debate but I don't know enough about his beliefs to figure out what he meant by this statement.

McCain stated in the debate on Wednesday:

"We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states."

It sounded to me (and to many others) that McCain was saying that just because you served in our military, that somehow qualifies you to be a teacher. You don't need any training, classes or certification.

Can you help me figure this out?

As a public school teacher, I find this outrageous. To imply that ANYONE can teach well: without years of training and qualifications, is insulting. What's next: "Troops to Nurses" or "Troops to Doctors"??? Why is teaching perceived as so "easy" that you can do it without any sort of training whatsoever???

I tried to find some reasoning for McCain's statement over the last few days and I can't seem to find any. Oh sure, there's a few folks out there (mostly military families) who think it's a great idea because they know just how hard their family members work to preserve our freedoms abroad. I have the utmost respect for them and the tremendous sacrifices they make for us and I don't want this post to diminish that in any way.

However, I went to school for 7 years to get my Bachelors Degree. I worked 2 jobs most of the time and I took highly specialized classes focusing in Child Psychology, Literacy, Special Education and Math. Then I worked for 2 years in a low-income school district as a student teacher while taking Masters classes. I now have my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Child Psychology. I owe many thousands of dollars in student loans that I will be paying back until I die. I've attended many conferences, including the International Baccalaureate Program training in New York, Lynda Franco's "English Language Learners: How Best To Reach Them?", the Literacy Conferences each year in Denver where I've taken classes on writing, reading, special education, science and vocabulary. I'm certified in LindaMood-Bell literacy techniques and I've volunteered for Teach for America. I am the Gifted and Talented Cluster Teacher for my 2nd grade school and have attended many trainings and workshops for this cause. I even taught English as a Foreign Language in Tortona, Milan and San Remo, Italy for 3 months where I recieved my T.E.F.L. Certificate after intensive training. I mentor new student teachers and I constantly attend professional development opprotunites throughout the summer and the school year in order to perfect my skills and knowledge. I've tutored kids after school, held open houses and communicated with families of my students for over 8 years now.

Even with all that, I still find myself struggling at times. With all that education and experience, TEACHING IS HARD!!!! I have over 18 combined years of experience and training and I still don't have all the answers. To assume that just because you put in your time in the military qualifies you to just walk into my classroom with out ANY training and to be the best teacher you can be for our kids is crazy!

That's why I need someone to explain this to me. I'm confused on how just because you know how to hold a gun, clean a weapon and drive a tank, you would be a qualified teacher in today's world...where our students are struggling with poverty, 2nd languages and budget cuts. Where special-ed students are included in the regular classroom and you are expected to meet their every need. Where N.C.L.B. has forced all the resources out of your building because schools need to concentrate on "teaching to the test."

In trying to find an answer to this baffling question that McCain raised, I came across this message from an Independent Voter: I think she says it best.

The teachers at my school are the cream of the crop—passionate, dedicated, unbelievably hard-working, and fully committed to the success of their students. These are highly qualified, highly certified professionals who have worked through years of college, internships, and second jobs in order to train and prepare for their invaluable role as educators to our children. I am proud to be one of these people. So it is an insult to these hard-working professionals when John McCain says that we need to push programs that allow military troops to “go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations -- or have the certification that some are required in some states.”

It baffles me that John McCain feels these troops should be exempt from having to pass licensing exams or receive certifications in order to become teachers while hard working citizens like me and my colleagues have spent thousands of dollars and years devoted to education in order to earn these jobs. I committed myself whole-heartedly to my undergraduate years and received my bachelor’s degree with honors. $40,000 dollars later I applied and was accepted to one of the top 25 Graduate Programs in the country for education and I have devoted my heart and soul to training for this profession.

Forgive me if I am enraged by the fact that John McCain completely discredits my years of hard work and thousands of dollars worth of tuition money by claiming that certain people should be exempt from the standards that the rest of us are held to. Forgive me if I’m outraged that John McCain belittles my knowledge, passion, and qualifications for such an honorable position. --Molly Gum

Again, if anyone out there has a reason that makes any sort of sense regarding John McCain's statements, I'd be glad to hear them. Right now, I'm just confused.