Brian Cohen
  • Making the Grade Blog
  • About Me
  • Tutoring
  • Press
  • Resources to Share

Improving Teacher Prep Programs = No more TFA?

7/6/2013

0 Comments

 
To much news fanfare, the National Council on Teacher Quality recently released their report on Teacher Preparation programs across the country. By analyzing 1000+ programs across the country, NCTQ determined that 3 out of 4 programs are failing our prospective teachers and not giving them the resources they need to succeed in the classroom. Major news outlets briefly explained its methodology and how people like Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, support its general mission.

But if you dig a bit deeper two major outcomes become evident when reading this report. The first is quite clear: this is not a peer-reviewed, journal-quality analysis of our country's teacher preparation programs. As mentioned in this article, the methods used here (reviewing syllabi and analyzing selectivity of recruits) is akin to a "professional restaurant reviewer judging eateries by looking at menus found online." A truly rigorous study would involve visits to universities and colleges across the country, interviews, focus groups, and more. 

The second issue is a bit deeper in interpretation: if these teacher preparation programs are being criticized mercilessly for not providing adequate preparation, what about emergency certification programs like Teacher for America? Last Wednesday, Eli Broad of the conservative Broad Foundation, wrote an op-ed piece for the LA Times explaining how we need better and deeper curriculum and selectivity in order to get the higher-quality teachers. He even mentions Finland as an example of a country that is doing better in this regard.

Taking his assertion to its logical conclusion, wouldn't he advocate for closing programs like Teach For America that only give 5 weeks of preparation and the majority of whose members don't stay more than 2-3 years in the classroom? I'd like to know his answer to that question soon.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I am a math teacher in the New York Department of Education. I infuse technology and real-world problems into my curriculum in order to prepare my students for the future. I would love for people across the country to recognize we teachers can't do it alone. If you don't believe me, come visit my classroom!

    Picture

    Contact Me

    Picture

    Email Updates

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    March 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.