Last month, Wendy Kopp of Teach for America and Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association discussed their thoughts on ways to improve the teaching force in the US in an article that appeared in USa Today. “As [education] leaders…we know from experience that great teachers are made, not born…Unfortunately, not all teachers are getting the high-quality preparation they need to excel…”
Applauding Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent blueprint for teacher education reform, they yet have three things they would like policymakers and reformers to keep in mind as they go about the work of overhauling teacher preparation systems.
1. Use data to improve teacher prep. In Louisiana, statistics have shown that there are significant differences in student outcomes depending on where their teachers trained. The state is using a three-tiered system to assess its teacher prep programs; similar systems are being used in California and Maryland.
2. Bring new talent to the teaching profession. It is critical for all people entering the career, whether recent college grads or career changers, to receive high quality training. One viable path for quality preparation is the proposed Presidential Teaching Fellows program, supported by the federal government that would give states committed to improving their teacher prep funding to do so, as well as merit-based scholarships for teacher candidates. The scholarships would favor candidates from low-income backgrounds as well as those of color.
3. Give teachers opportunities for continuous professional development. Training should not stop once the teacher enters the classroom. Mentoring, leadership opportunities, etc. should be a part of every teacher prep program.
In short, Kopp and Van Roekel want reformers and policymakers to remember that one third of all K-12 students will, at some point, have a teacher who is in his or her first three years of teaching. In order to ensure that these students have the same instructional quality as their peers assigned to veteran teachers, “we must commit to giving [teachers] the best preparation possible.”
To read the full article, please visit http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-12-20/teachers-education-public-schools/52121868/1?AID=4992781&PID=4166869&SID=y2200ify8yar
