There's little doubt that NCLB has improved the qualifications of high school teachers, but middle school teachers are another story. Although middle school teachers are supposed to have a college major in the subject they teach, about two dozen states have loopholes that allow middle school teachers to bypass this requirement by teaching on a K-8 generalist license.

Illinois is one of these states, but the loophole has now been closed for teachers in Chicago Public Schools. The Chicago Board of Education has passed new regulations requiring middle school teachers to hold an endorsement in their subject area, meaning they now need to have 18 credit hours in the subject they teach, roughly equivalent to a college minor.

Of course it's been not one, not three, but seven years since NCLB was passed, and Chicago is just getting around to this now. But they are still ahead of their friends in Springfield, who don't seem to mind if teachers in the rest of the state don't meet the federal requirement.

Chicago's 18 credit requirement is a far cry from the more rigorous NCLB requirement of a college major -- we are on record stating this is excessive for middle school teachers who teach multiple subjects -- but seven years in it is pretty clear that no one at the current U.S. Department of Education cares. (And it's a pretty safe bet that the next gang isn't going to either ... )