The appeal of charter schools includes the greater variety and flexibility they bring to educational instruction. A legislative proposal that would allow charter schools more leeway in utilizing non-certified teachers with records of success flows naturally from that approach.

In a recent article, the Connecticut Mirror cited the case of Eric Brummitt, a music teacher at the Achievement First Middle School in Hartford, who holds a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan. By all accounts, the students in Mr. Brummitt's classes are thriving, but under state law, if he does not return to college and get a teaching certificate, he cannot continue instructing. While schools can hire uncertified teachers, they must get certification within two years.

Mr. Brummitt told the Mirror he doesn't see the point of investing the time and $10,000 taking courses that he believes won't expand his doctorate-level musical knowledge or his ability to impart that knowledge to middle school students.

Not surprisingly, the Connecticut Education Association, the largest teachers' union in Connecticut, opposes making certification optional in charter schools. It argues the change would undermine teaching's status as a profession. We suspect that the group also fears the policy could creep into the public sector.

The law would provide safeguards. Exceptions to certification would come from the state's education commissioner, who would review the instructor's credentials and student performance. The state already allows home schooling with fewer safeguards than that. Any use of non-certified instructors should be transparent, with parents informed of the lack of certification and the substitute credentials.

Uncertified teachers are not the solution to the nation's educational problems, particularly acute in poor, urban areas. But experimenting with new approaches could provide answers. In pursuit of new approaches, charter schools should have the latitude to employ a few knowledgeable individuals with a gift for helping children learn, even if they don't have the official teaching papers.