The Future of Teacher Education and Preparation

Studies and reports that diagnose the health of American teacher education and prescribe remedies for its ills have turned into a cottage industry in recent years. There is little consensus, however, on the condition of the patient, much less on the regimen of treatment the patient should undergo. Teacher education has become a fiercely contested front in the education reform wars, and one doctor’s cure is the next doctor’s malpractice. Coming from a variety of viewpoints, this panel examines the current state of American teacher education and various proposals to transform it, examining everything from schemes to impose No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top accountability metrics, such as value-added measures of student learning, on schools of education, to alternative programs of teacher preparation and certification. Each panelist provides his or her diagnosis of American teacher education and a program for its improvement.

Panelists:

Deborah Lowenberg Ball, William H. Payne collegiate Chair; Arthur F. Thurnau Professor; Dean of the School of Education, University of Michigan

Michael J. Feuer, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Professor of Education, The George Washington University

Claire E. Sylvan, Founding Executive Director and President, Internationals Network for Public Schools, New York City

Kate Walsh, President, National Council on Teacher Quality

Moderator: Francine Lawrence, Executive Vice President, American Federation of Teachers; Albert Shanker Institute Board Member

Sponsored by the Albert Shanker Institute and the American Federation of Teachers, this conversation series is designed to engender lively and informative discussions on important educational issues. We deliberately invite speakers with diverse perspectives, including views other than those of the AFT and the Albert Shanker Institute. What is important is that these participants are committed to genuine engagement with each other.