Teacher Education Programs: In the Midst of Change

Kirylo, James D., McNulty, Carol P., Childhood Education

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, teacher education programs, particularly across the United States, have been scrutinized to an unprecedented degree. Katherine Merseth, senior lecturer on education and director of the teacher education program at Harvard University, stresses the need for graduate schools of education across the United States to be more accountable. She believes that of the 1,300 U.S. graduate education programs, merely 100 or so schools adequately prepare teachers. Merseth asserts that many teacher education programs easily could be shut down, yet they remain--essentially a "cartel" that monopolizes the awarding of teaching degrees (Ramirez, 2009). In a 2010 speech to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan went further, claiming that rewarding teachers with a master's degree is a waste of school district money, arguing that student achievement does not change when a teacher has a master's degree. (1) Recently, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) assembled a "Blue Ribbon" panel (2) to examine the effectiveness of teacher education programs, urging that teacher education ought to be "turned upside down" with sweeping changes for teacher preparation.

Levine (2010) makes the point that the world and our understanding of it are in the midst of unparalleled transformation because of globalization; significant demographic, economic, technological changes; and ongoing brain research relative to how people learn. Juxtaposed to that reality, Levine adds, is the current relationship between higher education and government (state and federal), in which government has made teacher education "a special target" for demanding more accountability and regulation.

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Publication information: Article title: Teacher Education Programs: In the Midst of Change. Contributors: Kirylo, James D. - Author, McNulty, Carol P. - Author. Journal title: Childhood Education. Volume: 87. Issue: 5 Publication date: Annual 2011. Page number: 315+. © 2009 Association for Childhood Education International. COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group.

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