rdrock:
What is the purpose of eliminating the continuing education requirement? Teaching is a profession that requires constant learning. As an expectation of this profession, it makes sense for teachers to earn additional credit hours beyond their initial teaching certificate. It does not make sense to eliminate this requirement.
The continuing education requirement goes beyond additional credits past the initial teaching certificate. Right now, teachers have to earn additional credit hours (6 or 8, I can't remember right now) or the equivalent State Board Continuing Education Units every 5 years in order to renew a teaching certificate. I would not support eliminating the requirement entirely but I do think it needs to be tweaked. Right now, I hold a teaching certificate, a special education endorsement and a masters degree. I have renewed my certificate twice and am working on the requirements for a 3rd renewal. I am running out of relevant, useful classes to take; I have already taken the most useful ones. Perhaps, the requirement should be kept the same for the 1st renewal after the initial certificate and changed to every 8-10 years once a masters degree is obtained.