As demeaning as the asshats want to be, you are almost certainly correct in your assumption. There are plenty of districts which require advanced schooling to teach special needs programs. She mentions that there is a group of 1st grade students using American Sign Language (ASL). That's not remotely normal in US 1st grade classrooms. This sounds like a special needs classroom, and for early-childhood special education, you can be sure there are definitely advanced schooling credentials required. Many school districts require a Masters degree in the realm of early childhood and/or special needs education. Most degree programs average 4 years, with a Masters in the same field typically needing 2 years. There are variances in the amount of schooling needed for any given region/district, and not everyone has the opportunity, time, or income to pursue a Masters full time, and these same individuals may very well not finish a Bachelors in four years, because going full-time is not something everyone can do.