Almost everyone remembers having a substitute teacher at some point in their K-12 education. It’s a day when students usually pass notes, talk to their friends or sometimes don’t even bother showing up for class.

If the state House passes a bill dropping substitute teacher requirements from 90 college credit hours to 60, such a scenario could happen more often all over the state.

Students may celebrate, but parents and teachers should be concerned.

Teaching is not an easy job. Lowering the standards by which someone can become a substitute teacher compromises students’ education - even if only for one day.

Reaching out to underqualified individuals is not a good way to go about solving Michigan’s shortage of substitute and full-time teachers. Instead, the state should use its power to encourage people to become capable and qualified educators.

Larger financial aid packages will encourage students to receive their teacher certifications. MSU could find ways to expand its education program so more students would be willing to become teachers.

By lowering the number of credits needed to be a substitute teacher, legislators also forget to take the maturity level of college students into account. College students generally accumulate 60 credits about two years into their college educations.

It’s hard to believe a high school senior will take a teacher seriously who is only two or three years older than him or her.

Should the requirements to become a substitute teacher be lessened, the screening process to select candidates should be strengthened to ensure students have some interest in teaching - not just being glorified baby sitters who pop in a movie and collect $70 for the day.

A lot of work goes into becoming and being a certified teacher. By reducing the amount of work that must be accomplished to become a substitute teacher, the work put in by certified educators is undermined.