Submitted by John House, Dec 15, 2007 19:29

Today, a student faces much higher expectations, and the student often has much higher aspirations also. We simply cannot produce the competent professionals we need who are proficient in true academic and social skills if secondary school teachers must trudge, drive, or somehow get to every high school where a student has an interest in the subject.

For many disciplines people collaborate primarily on line now. Why not learn this critical social skill in secondary school? Why not give the ambitious student the opportunity to do the same thing, and to learn from leaders in the discipline or the industry if their competence warrants?

Another critical skill for a student is cooperation with persons in authority. Notice that I did not say "authority figures." Home schooling and virtual academies offer a setting where students, teachers and parents are members of a team. It is a wonderful opportunity to escape the psyco-babble in our nursery schools for youth and discover the structure, dynamics and rewards of true teamwork.

This layman sees a few other potential issues. Who is awarding so called "education associations," which are really labor unions, a monopoly on elementary and secondary education? If a child demonstrates proficiency in studies, why does a state still retain authority to impose unilaterally a manner in which the child is educated? Are anti-trust laws being violated?

Saying it positively, each state has a right to assure youth understand our society's understanding of science, math, language, health (including reproductive health) and fundamental legal responsibility. I don't understand, however, where a state has the right to say only certain people are morally and intellectually fit to teach, based on a narrow and politically influenced curriculum of undergraduate study.

If America is to remain great, we need to enforce competence and respect for legitimate rights and duties. We further need to lose the one-size-fits-all attitu

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