It is certainly no secret that NCTQ thinks too many new teachers enter
their classrooms woefully unprepared by their training programs. We are
not alone in this view: traditional education schools—the trainers for
the overwhelming majority of new teachers—have few friends in the
reform community. But while many see the ed school glass as so far
beyond half empty that the remnants should be dumped and the glass
thrown away, we think that glass—while maybe considerably less than half
full—needs to be filled to the very brim.
In a recent post on his Dropout Nation blog, RiShawn Biddle lays out the case for all that ails ed schools and concludes “one can dare argue that there is almost no reason for ed schools to exist.” But our conclusion is just the opposite: current teacher preparation may not matter very much, but it should.
Consider the 18 standards that make up NCTQ’s national review of preparation programs. Shouldn’t new teachers know how to teach young children to read? The fundamentals of assessment? How to effectively teach English language learners? How to manage a group of children to focus on academics?
Reforming teacher training should not take as given that teachers must start
their careers without these skills, especially when such an alternative
will disproportionately impact disadvantaged kids, who are more likely
to have inexperienced teachers. We need programs that offer prospective
teachers the time and support to develop the necessary knowledge and
skills to be effective. Teacher preparation done well can and should
add real value.
Sandi Jacobs