It doesn't look like you need physical education teachers to be highly qualified. Or health or home economics.

Those were Massachusetts licenses that required renewal. Someone should not be teaching on an invalid license.

It's exciting to see more and more students receive proficiency. But we are constantly seeking to improve the achievement gap.

Teachers are deemed highly qualified if they have a bachelor's degree, a Massachusetts teachers license and have demonstrated subject matter competency in each of the subjects they teach. The state is at about 93 percent, and the remainder have until the end of June to show they are highly qualified.

The way that the current education system is set up, the state requires students to take physical education and pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to graduate from high school. It would be quite a challenge to require a program like this.