WHY AM I HERE? It has been some time since I posted anything on the antics of the committee I was conscripted into for reasons that remain unclear. There was a February meeting that ended immediately before I intended to leave for points north; look for a longer comment on dispositions next week. The March meeting was earlier today. It ended just in time for me to hear the Wisconsin collapse on the radio.

But I'm beginning to figure something out. The committee, which might have been strengthened on the basis of some recommended practice of the National Council on Accrediting Teacher Education, appears to be more concerned with having the proper procedures in place for that accreditation audit. It reminds me of ISO 9001 or ISO 14,001, but we don't get to hang a fancy banner at the loading dock.

Here is an indication of the current state of teacher preparation. The State of Illinois requires that all seekers of a state teacher's certificate undergo a criminal background check, with fingerprints. This committee devoted about a half hour this afternoon to fretting over whether Northern Illinois University grant partial faith and credit to background checks conducted elsewhere. For now, no.