In the early days of my newspaper career, a speaker at an industry-related seminar offered what he said was some sage advice.

Staring down the barrel of a transition from typewriters to computers, the editor of a mid-state daily discussed the hardships of change.

Then it came. It was something I — a young reporter who’d just been promoted — never expected to hear, especially in the detail-oriented, excellence-minded profession that I’d chosen for my life’s work.

“When all else fails,” he said, “lower your standards.”

When the hearts of the older, more experienced members of the audience restarted, the speaker wove a tale of how technology was changing his staff, with many leaving because they didn’t want to adapt.

Newsroom staffs began shrinking. Good reporters were in short supply, and indeed, standards began to slip.

That all popped back into my mind last week when my current editor emailed an idea that I might explore for a column.

She pointed me toward the efforts of state lawmakers to ease GPA requirements for prospective teachers.

The plan, part of a proposal to ease the shortage of teachers across the commonwealth, would lower the required GPA for those entering teacher preparation programs from 3.0 to 2.8.

Talk about lowering standards!

One of the prime sponsors of the package, state Rep. Regina Young, a Democrat from the Philadelphia area, champions the idea, saying GPA is just one indicator of someone’s ability to succeed as an educator.

She emphasized a potential educator’s ability to connect with students over the ability to perform well on tests and through other academics measures as better indicators of ability.

A cosponsor, Jim Prokopiak, a Levittown Democrat, said GPA was “just a number,” adding that “success comes in many different factors and we shouldn’t artificially put a number on something.”

He said the current system takes qualified candidates out of the pool on what he called an “arbitrary number.”

The idea, for me, sends up more red flags than there are fireworks on July 4.

Here we have lawmakers advocating for potential teachers who can’t reach an arbitrary number, yet — if they successfully finish certification — are tasked with pushing students to reach arbitrary numbers.

In Pennsylvania, educators use some hefty tools to assess learning.

The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) test measures English language arts, mathematics and science in elementary and middle school, and the Keystone Exam gauges proficiency in algebra, biology and literature in high school.

The goal of these tests is to help school districts guide students to meet state standards.

Questions abound.

Why hold these kids to state standards when the teachers who guide them have their standards lowered?

And what happens when kids who don’t achieve the highest of these standards want to become teachers?

Do we lower the requirements again?

But there’s more to discuss.

Consider these scenarios:

In the long run, lowering standards might lead to a decline in quality of preparing teachers and ultimately, the quality of teaching in classrooms.

A reduced quality of teaching could slow educational progress. It could dim the prestige and professionalism associated with teaching in general.

That might make it less attractive to high-achieving teacher candidates.

Weaker candidates might not develop the skills needed to handle classroom situations or deal with diverse learning needs.

It might even cause higher teacher burnout and turnover rates.

And the cycle continues.

That said, there’s still time for wiggle room and discussion.

Realistically, lowering standards for potential teachers isn’t all negative.

Coupled with increased mentorship and some advances in financial aid, teaching can be a rewarding career in many ways.

But Pennsylvania needs an approach that’s well-conceived and balances accessibility with high standards for all involved, including students.

Lowering standards isn’t just about making it easier to be a teacher. It’s also about possibly compromising the quality of education.

Teachers need to be passionate, well-prepared and better paid, especially in these times when test scores and education rankings are on the downturn.

In my years as a student and later as an educator, I never heard anyone advocate for being less than the best.

If we begin to do that now, we’ve all failed.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com