Everyone knows “schools” and “rules” go hand-in-hand, but take a look at the laws our teachers follow. BY THE HOME ECONOMIST

Schools don’t only make rules, they also follow them.

Alabama says 14 years olds who have both a legal job and their parents blessing can – by law – leave school for good.  In Washington DC everyone age 5 to age 18 must attend, no exceptions.

California requires 13 credits to graduate High School. Idaho says students need 42 credits – nine in English.

In Georgia, students who fail the end-of-course exams can appeal those results.

Only Washington DC and six states — Arkansas, Maryland, New Mexico, Oaklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia — require five year old children to attend Kindergarten.  

Kentucky gives parents grades for their involvement in schools.

Georgia turns low-performing schools over to private management.

California teachers must pass a written test before they can teach specific subjects. In Colorado, there’s no  minimum degree or coursework required for the subjects being taught.

Michigan caps number of teachers working on subjects outside of their fields. Florida doesn’t but the state requires the school to inform parents when, say, a gym coach is teaching science.

America has ten places without a statewide student identification system: Washington DC, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.  

Maine has formal professional development standards for teachers and pays for those courses, but doesn’t set aside time for the teachers to take them. New Hamshire sets those standards for teachers but won’t pay for courses or provide incentives for teachers to earn them.