The Teachers We Need vs. the Teachers We Have

The Realities and the Possibilities

By (author) Lawrence Baines

Not available to order

Publication date:

16 March 2010

Length of book:

116 pages

Publisher

R&L Education

ISBN-13: 9781607097037

Misinformation and propaganda abound about the quality of teacher preparation in the United States. The Teachers We Need vs. the Teachers We Have reveals exactly how American teachers are taught, describes the wide disparities in the preparation of teachers across states, depicts how market-driven teacher preparation waters down the quality of teachers, and explains how teacher preparation in America compares with preparation for other careers in the United States and with teacher preparation programs in other countries.

Chapter 1 The Rise of the Test
Chapter 2 Trends in Alternative Certification
Chapter 3 The Wal-Mart Effect and University-Based Teacher Preparation
Chapter 4 Teacher Certification Around the World
Chapter 5 Ethics and the Lack of Ethics
Chapter 6 Doctor, Lawyer, Plumber, Undertaker, Teacher
Chapter 7 The Teachers We Need vs. the Teachers We Have

Baines's description of the educational and economic situation that has spawned a proliferation of non-accredited teacher preparation programs is timely and masterful. He adroitly argues that standardized testing does not differentiate good from poor teachers; certification programs that require 'zilch' content or pedagogical knowledge and field-based experience are insufficient in preparing effective teachers; and a lack of consensus about a code of professional ethics denotes a lack of commitment to the profession among its practitioners.In a time when education is infected with cacophonous imposters, this book—written by one who knows education from the perspective of classroom teacher, businessman, curriculum developer, professor, and researcher—is the clear call that we need to hear, the call to which we should respond.