"After 29 years of teaching, havng obtained a B.A. from Augustana, an M.A. from USD, and having completed an additional 36 hours of graduate courses, I've now been determined to be 'highly qualified' because I passed a test (Praxis 146) last November. The idea that one test could determine my qualification status is not only laughable, it is insulting.

"As president of the largest local association in my state and, in fact, one of the largest professional organizations in my state, I urge our state legislators, state department of education, national legislators, and the U.S. Department of Education to return to trusting the integrity of college and university teacher certification programs.

"If you do some investigation, you will find that testing companies like Praxis have hired hundreds of employees to develop and administer these tests. A new growth sector of our economy has been generated by these requirements. A very few companies (like Praxis) have monopolies on the teacher-testing market.

"Someone is making millions while public schools continue to be underfunded. Over 100 Sioux Falls special education teachers were forced to take the Praxis 146, regardless of how long they have taught. All passed! (No surprise to me!) South Dakota teachers are qualified professionals doing their work for the lowest teacher salaries in the nation. These tests are just one more travesty in the NCLB debacle.

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