Georgia officials get kudos for pursuing some important changes to its teacher certification regs, in particular allowing people who have not gone to education school to become teachers if they can pass the state's certification tests. Teachers would then have to do a one year internship, including mentoring, within the first five years of their employment.

"I'm trying to knock down barriers that keep some highly qualified people from getting into the teaching ranks," said F.D. Toth, executive secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Committee. While Toth insisted that this move would ensure high standards combined with low barriers, the head of the teacher's union called the fix a "band-aid," while the Dean of the College of Education at Georgia State said that this would "water down the quality of teachers."

Fully earning his reformer badge, Toth is also seeking to eliminate the requirement that principals have instructional experience.