The Jan. 25 column by Walter Williams about schools of education allows him to rant about university schools of education and their “hairbrained thinking.” He bases his premise ­— “Education majors are woefully lacking in academic skills” — partly on teacher certification test questions. Two of his examples were taken from the Praxis I, one of the tests North Carolina teachers take.

What Williams fails to tell you is that there are two Praxis tests. The first tests basic knowledge and, in my opinion, is very easy. The Praxis II tests content knowledge and lesson planning. A teacher, according to federal law, must be considered highly qualified to teach in core subjects. This means that the teacher must have a four-year degree from an accredited institution; they also must have passed the Praxis II or have a specific degree in their subject (either bachelor’s or master’s).

Williams fails to tell his readers whether those teachers in Illinois continued being teachers. He also uses data from 10 years ago. In the past, when it was hard to find teachers, North Carolina would allow teachers a period of three years to pass their Praxis tests (a practice no longer allowed). Failure to pass would result in a loss of position. Did that happen to the 5,243 teachers in Illinois? Who knows? Why would Williams let a few more facts get in the way of a good rant?

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