The new teacher testing initiatives present a new opportunity and a new cha
llenge to clarify thinking about the nature of the teaching profession and
about the preparation of well-qualified individuals to meet the impending s
hortage of teachers for the nation 's schools. This article examines recent
implementation of the controversial Massachusetts Educator Certification T
ests and the educational, legal, and public policy issues in the implementa
tion of a teacher testing program.