About 15 years ago I went to our state education agency and spoke to the
person charged with physics teacher certification. I wanted to do
something about all the granting of (temporary) physics teaching
certificates to (say coaches) who had few or no physics courses in their
curriculum.
Here's what he said: Just who do you think *is* going to teach these high
school physics courses? More to the point, how many physics teachers do
you think your institution (the largest in the state) has prepared in the
last 10 years?
I thought for a while, began to reassess, and then he hit me with the
facts: *We*, the largest university in the state, averaged one certified
physics teacher every 10 years. And that was to replace the ones who left
teaching, not counting the ones *I* wanted him to get out of the classroom.
Reality check!!! Karl
Dr. Karl I. Trappe Desk Phone: (512) 471-4152
Physics Dept, Mail Stop C-1600 Demo Office: (512) 471-5411
The University of Texas at Austin Home Phone: (512) 264-1616
Austin, Texas 78712-1081