The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winners are Jan Amator and the Arizona Board of Education. They get the award for the absurd rules they have in place that make it difficult for experienced out of state teachers to get certification in Arizona.

Take for instance the case of Neil W. Manzenberger. Mr. Manzenberger applied for a teaching job in Arizona after teaching music in Indiana for 30 years. He underwent a background check and submitted his teaching certificate from Indiana. Manzenberger was allowed to teach for a year at an elementary school under an emergency state certification rule.

But after one year if Mr. Manzenberger wanted to continue teaching, he would have to take an education course that he never has taken: methods of teaching elementary music. Arizona rules require it.

That's how crazy state teacher certificiation rules are. Mr. Manzenberger had 21 years experience teaching elementary students and Arizona wants him to take a college course in it. But here's the kicker.

Manzenberger taught the very class they are requiring him to take! At Purdue University for nine years. How absurd.

Jan Amator don't think so. The Deputy Associate superintendant(Lots of names in that title, sounds like a bureaucrat/paperpusher alright) said "This is a state board rule, it is not something we are doing arbitrarily. These are rules we have to follow."

Your rules are made by imbecilles Ms. Amator and you're enforcing them. What does that say? For taking rules to absurd bureaucratic extremes, Jan Amator and the Arizona Board of Education are today's Knuckleheads of the day.

Hat tip- Joanne Jacobs
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