Last week, the State of Florida announced it will accept the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence's (ABCTE's) test-based "Passport Certification" as a valid route to becoming certified in the state. In making this important step, Florida joins Idaho and Pennsylvania as states that have embraced ABCTE. Jim Horne, Florida Commissioner of Education explained the decision: "The most important factor in student achievement is the presence of a high-performing, dedicated teacher in the classroom.... The American Board is providing yet another pathway to attract qualified individuals to the teaching profession in Florida." Well said. Hopefully other states are listening.

Meanwhile, in an article that makes Rush Limbaugh look objective, the Palm Beach Post took aim at the new program for having "virtually no track record." Odd choice of words since the nation's 1,354 schools of education, who have all been in business quite a bit longer, still have no track record.