Professional Credentials

A local teachers’ union official has said she will oppose a plan by Superintendent Creg Williams and the St. Louis public schools to recruit doctors, lawyers, accountants, chemists, university professors, and architects to serve as teachers in the St. Louis public schools, without undergoing several years of additional training in education courses. Dr. Williams’ proposal, which needs legislative approval, would cap the number of such professionals working in the schools at 5 percent of the teaching staff.

Looking at the low test scores and graduation rates for most of the District’s oldest students, it is difficult to imagine that a professional chemist, a physician, a journalist, or - even - a lawyer could make things worse.