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Good teaching matters
As parents instinctively know - and the research strongly supports them - it’s hugely important that their kids get a good teacher. Of course, there are lots of good teachers out there but, for the most part, they have become good teachers by trial and error, feeling their way and talking to other teachers, that sort of thing - as opposed to learning the tricks of their trade at their faculty of education. The sad truth is: most faculties of education provide an abysmal (or even no) grounding in how to teach well, focusing more on political correctness and leaf collections.
In recognition of this fact, the US Senate is proposing a bill that would punish bad education schools and encourage alternative routes such as Teach for America. This approach is badly needed in Ontario, as the province’s faculties of education enjoy a monopoly on teacher certification and their problems are deeply entrenched, as explained in this essay by the former dean of an Ontario faculty.
Effective teachers are the most important factor in my eyes. But to pushed for changes as in the United States, to punished the teachers’ colleges, is it not, giving a signal to the public, the other arms of education, including the unions, they are no longer responsible or accountable for the failures of schools. The blame rests on the teachers’ colleges, and the other arms of the education system, can continued on serving their own best interests. Isn’t this just another way of keeping the status-quo?
Whereas in Canada, the provinces are maintaining the status-quo, by having their fingers in all areas of education, and more importantly they have the final say. Keeping teachers’ colleges constricted, preventing them from having full autonomy of what they can do or not do, is just another way of maintaining the status-quo of the current political and power structures of the public education system. Accountability and responsibility is spread around more evenly, to respect the current structure, that essentially serves the best interests of the 4 arms of the system. And not the best interests of the children’s education, or for that matter the public.
“The U.S. Senate is proposing a bill that would punish education schools that produce ineffective teachers. Such institutions of higher learning could face penalties under a U.S. Senate bill introduced this week by a bipartisan, high-powered collection of lawmakers. Under the bill, states would designate academies to train teachers and principals, and those schools would have to use a rigorous admissions process and emphasize hands-on experience. The law would stipulate that teachers couldn’t graduate unless they demonstrated that they could boosted student achievement.”
http://www.educationnews.org/ednews_today/158187.html
Problem is, there is no clear definition on what is an effective teacher, the training, the skills that are needed to replicate consistently steady student achievement over the years. The one time requirement to demonstrate that a new teacher can boost student achievement, is easier to do than it is to repeat it consistently over the years, given that the public education system is highly politicized, with each part looking after their own best interests.
“Do we want to innovate to educate or continue the battle to contain the change?”
http://www.thecenterformichigan.net/guest-column-taking-the-charter-school-to-college/