This is just so much nonsense. Finland leads the world. When asked to explain their success they point to their 3 year teacher traaining process. Generation of research from the University of Chicago points to teacher education, teacher training and experience as the critical matters. The ‘alternative route’ teachers in the USA are floundering due to the fact that subject knowledge is only half the formula. Gretsky can sure play hockey but he sure can’t coach hockey. Ever notice the best coaches are never the best players?

This is so bad that it truly constitutes teacher bashing of the highest order.

BTW we have a huge experiment south of the border that is highly instructive. The states with the lowest eduction, certification rates are at the very bottom of American education and the states with the highest standards of education and certification are at the top of the nation.

I suggest you try to make this official policy of the political parties. How far do you think the one that says, “I will flood the system with uncertified teachers” will get? Just love to see one of them try.

I love the example. Apparently the people who favour “alternative routes” have found “alternative routes” are just as good. ROFLOL, (Roll on floor, laugh out loud). The Ontario PCs were considering this as policy at their last convention. I hope they go for it. It will fly about as far as public funding for religious schools. Tim Hudak, “I propose uncertified teachers for Ontario’s classrooms even though we have a surplus of certified teachers.“ Just piture that one.

Hi Doug,seeing as you are the guy we all have to speak to on this blog.
Teachers are very dissatisfied with their training and speak openly about it-at least in my field work.They are hugely disappointed that their certification did not include the preparation of teaching Reading-they don`t want to go out unprepared-that is just what happens.
Read Dr.Reid Lyon-and by the way-Diane Ravitch-she missed the point in her book-she forgot to mention that teachers unless they go to Columbia or a handful of other Universities are completely unprepared to teach Reading.Do you think that`s why the traffic jams are so thick in grade 4 and up for assessments and special ed?
Hm…I wonder.

Nobody should be held accountable for the terrible teacher ed system in the USA except them. Yes we could all use a little intensive reading support earlier than we get it, we can agree on that if not the program itself.

Teachers it seems have a very bad anti-theory anti-intellectual streak in them during their training and seem to only value their practicum. This is not healthy. That is why we should move to a loooong Finland style preparation so every aspect gets all the time it needs.

Our training is no better but I respond to you in this way.I agree with you wholeheartedly!

Interesting and multifaceted discussion in this articule from the New York Times on the topic:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?pagewanted=all

Malkin,what is the “accumulating evidence” (regarding the results of uncertified teachers versus certified ones) you’re referring to.

I used your link.  I got on to a research paper titled “Profile of Alternate Route Teachers”.  This looks like a program to help people transition from a non-teching career to a teaching one.  While “uncertified” to begin with, it looks like these teacher trainees become certified when they finish the program.

Am I missing something?  Should I be looking at another paper?

Very interesting article TDSBNW.

At the end of the day, we need far more than the “born teachers” and I have always held that too little classroom management is taught which is where bright 1st year teachers really flounder. This is helpful but I still believe, we can’t help students if we don’t know the answers ourselves.

David, the link leads to a page of links to papers on alternate routes to teacher certification. The very top one (Overview of Research on Alternate Routes) gives an overview of the research that has been done on some of the dozens of alternate-certification programs, concluding “The debates are no longer about whether teacher preparation through alternate routes is a viable option. Credible research now assists policymakers and practitioners alike to support effective programs and improve those not up to par in producing effective teachers.“

The Americans need so called alternative route teachers for 2 reasons. 1) There are real shortages in less desirable teaching locations because life is too short to be underpaid and to put up with the abuse and lack of support and 2) Where there is a shortage of teachers, like anything else, the law of supply and demand kicks in and bids up wages. The authorities have no intention to pay what REAL teachers need to be paid so the will do anything, Teach for America, Guestworker teachers from the Phillipines teaching math in Louisiana and Mississippi, use uncertified teachers all over the place and they wonder why they have problems down there.

There is nothing even approaching this in Canada.

Joanne - Doug is certainly not the guy we have to speak to on this blog. That is your choice. He doesn’t have that kind of influence on me to be honest. You do have a choice, even here.

It seems that until the purpose of education as it exists today is clear and constant we’re going to run into the problem of variance especially among teachers and their training.

That teacher training has been tagged as inferior is not new. Ask any newly minted teacher and you’ll likely get mixed answers.

I get the feeling from the young and new teachers I know that too much time in the faculty is spent on fixing problems, and remedial activities rather than on those methods that may allow a teacher to get it right the first time and not have to continually fix problems.

I recall a social gathering that included 4 young teachers right out of the teaching faculty and 1 long time elementary teacher. The 4 newbies were peppering the experienced teacher with questions about planning. The responses to the youngsters was that “they’ll never have to use what was taught to them after the first couple of years.“ 

How about trimming all of the stuff that adds no value to a teachers education and fill it with less trending and more dependable, proven information/techniques.

I still subscribe to the “just because you’re certified doesn’t mean you can teach” philosophy.

As it happens one of those 4 young teachers took his job search south because of lack of jobs in Ontario and is now working at a combination private/public school in the Bahamas. He is one of just a half dozen teachers with certification the others uncertified.

Those other 3 new teachers still not working. One with Masters the other two with science specialties are working with the MNR doing research.

Hard to know what you are driving at Chuck. I know you don’t trust the research and opinion of scholars because you always know 3-4 people to prove the opposite to you. Perhaps all of the governments and policy makers should cease looking at scholarly research and just call you up. You can hook them up with 3-4 pals and save them a lot of money.
So you are recommending that we abandon teacher training because it has no bearing on whether someone can teach? Give me your number Chuck. I can pass in on to Dalton McGuinty, you can tell him about all of these profound thoughts you have based on nothing but your anecdotal recollections of conversations with you and your homies. I’m sure he will find it riveting.