Teacher Education Reform in theUnited States

John CoganUniversity of Minnesota

Marilyn JohnstonOhio State University

ChallengesPoliticization

Futures

One challenge: The numbers and diversity in U.S. schools

53 million students 3 million teachers 92,000 public schools 15,000 school districts 40% of the students are minorities

17% Black, 16 Hispanic, 4% Asian, 1% Native Amer. 1 in 5 speaks another language at home 1 in 4 comes from a single-family home

84% of teachers are White

Challenge: Attrition of New Teachers

Most leave after three years and more than 50% leave within 5 years

Need for induction and mentorship programs

Challenge: Two Competing Perspectives

Job training/preparation, free market competition

Role of education is to move the economy forward

Top down administration—bureaucratic reforms

Based on transferable models Competitive, individualistic, tests

used for selection/hiring

Equity/equality/citizenship

Role of education is to create a just and democratic society

Requires national leadership & community dialogue

Civic education; problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration

Only consistent licensure and accreditation will insure that all children have qualified teachers.

Market-based rationale Democratic rationale

Challenge:Accountability

Increased calls for accountability

this began with the Reagan’s “A Nation at Risk" report in the early 1980s, it has gained momentum with the Bush administration in Washington.

Challenge:Alternative Certification

Would bypass the traditional undergraduate and post-graduate faculties of education completely as well as traditional certification/licensure and accreditation programs.

Ignored in this "alternative" debate is the fact that the recent post-graduate or fifth year programs ARE alternative themselves.

Politicization of education through federal policy

Consequence:

lack of state autonomy and local policy making

Arguments included in federal policies:

Administrators should be free to hire within an open market—quality control

Should recruit persons with strong subject matter knowledge

Criteria should include general knowledge, verbal ability and subject matter knowledge

Subject matter tests are sufficient to measure teaching competence

Arguments from within the profession:

Standards, licensure, & accreditation necessary

Need to recruit stronger students into high quality programs

Teachers need a comprehensive set of abilities & knowledges beyond subject matter

Knowledge of teaching & learning highly correlates with academic achievement

Trained worker vs. professional teacher

Assaults on Teacher Education

Will assaults on undergraduate and post-graduate teacher education continue?

Differences in Ed School and administration perspectives

Argue for approaches that will remove roadblocks that keep “qualified persons” from becoming teachers

Will fulfill the needs for teachers in large urban districts

Business, Religion & Politics

Business leaders have aligned with conservative politicians and fundamentalist Christian special interest groups.

Private sector involvement in education.

Future of Teacher Education?

In general, it will depend on. . . .

Who wins the national Presidential election

Intensity of the backlash against No Child Left Behind

Perpetuation of current national budget trends, e.g., www.TrueMajority.org/oreo

It will depend on teacher education identity

viewed by their colleagues as "soft", not content based, and an unnecessary appendage of the institution

larger institution has no interest in teacher education per se in the long term.

It will depend on educating our publics

need to take a more aggressive posture with respect to educating our "publics" about what we do and why

need to make a stronger case for why schools need “educated” professionals

It will depend on teacher shortages

Federal government projected (in 1999) that we would need 1.7 to 2.7 new teachers in 2008.

In 1987-88, only 2.7 entered without certification (or on provisional certification)--In 1990-2000 5.7% entered without certification.

Urban schools have more uncertified teachers than suburban schools—especially with new teachers, 11% more of them are not certified if they teach in urban (cf. to suburban schools).

See K.C. Lai & Joe Hong’s policy paper: “Crash Courses for Untrained Teachers”.

It will depend on support for new teachers

Need professional induction and mentorship programs for new teachers

Where these have been introduced, more than 80% of the new teachers remain on the job after the first five years of service.

It will depend on which rationale will have currency

increased pressure on teacher education programs

increased use of business models for running schools & universities

increased use of tests to evaluate teachers and schools

increased use of free market competition to solve educational problems

further emphasis on questions of equity and social justice

standards used to create a broader curriculum

increased use of social justice arguments to justify the need for licensure

wider use of performance assessment for teachers and students

Market rationale will mean: Democratic rationale will mean: