Here comes educational anarchy?

Apparently, one of the arguments presented by the California (oops, Kahleefornia, sorry Ahnuld!) teacher's union is that to allow uncredentialed parents to teach their children would lead to "educational anarchy," according to the June 14 World magazine. When I read that, I thought "exactly right!"

Exactly right? You bet. Prior to about 1850, that's exactly what we had. No state boards of education, no credentialing agencies run by the state, no mandatory attendance. What was the result?

Well, contemporary reports record that among those permitted to learn to read (all but those enslaved), illiterates were as rare as hen's teeth. The Kahleefornia teachers are right; we need some educational anarchy.