By Beth Hawkins | The 74
“In 2011, Joan Dobbert contacted the Minnesota Board of Teaching to enquire about getting a teacher license. She had a degree and 18 years of experience as an early childhood educator and an administrator at a nationally accredited preschool program. She wanted to show she was qualified for a license by using a process in which would-be teachers submit portfolios showcasing their skills.
The process was in fact so successful that in the seven years it had then been on the books more than 500 teachers had used it to obtain licenses. Some, like Dobbert, did not have the exact academic credential required for a particular license. Many were trained in other states and wanted to move to Minnesota.”