Can your child's teacher read, write, and speak English well enough to be an effective teacher?  You would think teachers would have the necessary language skills, since they have at least a BA, a state certificate, have taken the Praxis, and gone through an interview process.  Of course, according to Education Commissioner Deborah Gist, this might not be the case.

     Think about that for a minute.  In the United States, we have people teaching children whose command of the English language is substandard.  It makes me wonder how many of these teachers might also be conducting part of their class in another language.  Think about it: If you have a class where 75% of the students are bilingual (English and Spanish) and a teacher who is more comfortable speaking Spanish, there could be times where part of the class is taught in Spanish because it's easier to get a point across.  Well, it would be easier for those who speak Spanish, not so much for those who speak English.

     Rhode Island should follow Massachusetts' lead and require all teachers to prove they are proficient in English.  What good is increased educational funding, better teacher training, or a new curriculum if the people charged with teaching aren't capable of getting their point across?

     I'm sure the unions and other groups will try to fight any attempt to find and remove these teachers.  After all, the first priority of the unions are the members, not the students.