Colorado School Seeks Permission to Hire Scientists to Teach Science

The Independence Institute reports in an op-ed that leaders of the Douglas County School District in Colorado have requested waivers from the state so that professional scientists and engineers can teach science to students.  The question is why they need licenses in the first place.  If a PhD makes one qualified to teach students who are paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend universities, why should a person with a PhD need approval to teach high school courses?  Government licensures shouldn’t prevent knowledgeable people from teaching, especially when they are instituted to ensure teacher quality.  Making professional scientists first seek approval from the government to teach only protects less qualified teachers from competition.   This is yet another example of government regulation favoring incumbents and another reason why parents should have the choice to send their children to schools where educators don’t have to ask the bureaucrats first.