What Finland Can Offer Gifted Education

I just finished reading a very interesting book called The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. The book details the adventures of three teens, who travel to three different countries, which according to international tests, have been most successful in teaching students to think critically.
While the countries achieved success in various ways, one of the countries, Finland, achieved academic success among its students by recruiting the best teachers possible through rigorous selection and preparation requirements. Essentially, Finland weaned out the weaker candidates and in the process made teaching a more prestigious occupation. Teachers were provided intense training but given more autonomy in the classroom. The results trickled down to students, resulting in Finland becoming an educational superpower.
When reading the book, I wondered how this approach could be applied to the world of gifted education. What if the prerequisite requirements for teachers of the gifted were raised? What would be the impact on gifted students?
Though you may not agree, I have often felt that first or even second year teachers should not be hired to work as teachers of the gifted. I dont believe it is an entry-level job. This opinion comes from my own experience working as a teacher of the gifted as well as observing new teachers entering gifted education. While I had three years of experience working as a teacher before I was hired to teach gifted fifth-grade students, I still struggled to understand the gifted student and know what his or her needs were. It was a very different teaching experience, and one could argue that these intellectually advanced students create more instructional demand and expertise. I was hired to teach gifted with the agreement that I would complete five gifted education endorsement courses; however, I was allowed to work with gifted children while I completed these classes. That meant I had very little knowledge of the field, though I was allowed to dive in head first (A point driven home by some very aggressive parents during open housebut thats a whole another story).
Ive watched first-year teachers take on their own self-contained gifted classroom, and I believe very few were equipped to properly challenge these types of students. A first-year teacher is focused on mastering classroom management, lesson planning, assessment, parent communication, and other teaching basics --expecting them to implement enrichment, acceleration, and other gifted-education strategies may be too much to ask.
With Finlands methods in mind, I wonder if we could improve gifted education by increasing the requirements to enter the field. Would it improve the challenge and rigor provided to gifted children? On the negative side, would it decrease the amount of teachers entering the field, possibly creating a shortage? I wonder.

Here might be some policies to consider:
Teachers hired to work with gifted students must first complete endorsement courses or possess a masters degree in the field.

Teachers hired to work with the gifted be required to earn a passing score on a gifted education examination.

Teachers entering the field be required to shadow or intern with an experienced teacher of the gifted.

When interviewing, aspiring teachers of gifted would have to present videos of themselves teaching a lesson based on gifted best practices or national or state frameworks.

In truth, its a little hypocritical for me to recommend the above requirements since I did not have to contend with them as a new hire. However, I have completed (gifted endorsement courses) or am currently completing similar requirements (masters degree in gifted education, which requires a final examination). Theres one thing I do know. If I were to satisfy these requirements before entering a gifted classroom, I would have much more prepared for the challenges ahead.

Wishing you the best,
Steve