The current popularity of teacher testing allows for content, criterion, and construct validity to be assessed, as pertaining to achievement levels on basic knowledge examinations. Teacher competency is a complex issue that is inaccurately confused with or identified as measures derived from academic testing. The problems in addressing the validity of teacher competencies are located in the very definitions of validity. Items used for measurement will never represent a fair and universal sample of teaching skills. Many skills found in effective teachers are not measurable. Current data on the use of achievement tests for predictability or assessment of concurrent skills is not favorable. The interpretation of standards to explain or provide direction can never be achieved if the content to be measured is unclear. The public is deceiving itself by believing that current methods of assessing teachers are a measurement of teacher competency. (CB)