De-Regulating Teacher Prep: Will Teacher Prep Academies Replace Schools of Ed?
A new post from Edweek Teacher “Living in Dialogue” blog by Anthony Cody reports on another effort by Senator Bennett from the state of Colorado to pass the “Growing Excellent Achievement Training Academies for Teachers and Principals,” otherwise known as the GREAT Act.
See the EdWeek blog at: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/05/will_teacher_prep_academies_to.html
As the excellent blog post points out, thus bill would essentially de-regulate teacher prep and allow anyone to create a teacher prep program. In fact, you could create one from your own home! It appears there would be no barriers to entry for either programs or prospective teachers. Rather, certification test scores would serve as a barrier to entry into the classroom and student test scores would serve as a check on the teacher prep program. A program would face accountability after several years of performance. As Anthony Cody states:
The ‘accountability’ comes at the back end, when it comes time for renewal. Then we must use data – the programs must demonstrate that their graduates yield growth in student achievement via the famous ‘multiple measures.’ The state:
See the EdWeek blog at: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/05/will_teacher_prep_academies_to.html
As the excellent blog post points out, thus bill would essentially de-regulate teacher prep and allow anyone to create a teacher prep program. In fact, you could create one from your own home! It appears there would be no barriers to entry for either programs or prospective teachers. Rather, certification test scores would serve as a barrier to entry into the classroom and student test scores would serve as a check on the teacher prep program. A program would face accountability after several years of performance. As Anthony Cody states:
The ‘accountability’ comes at the back end, when it comes time for renewal. Then we must use data – the programs must demonstrate that their graduates yield growth in student achievement via the famous ‘multiple measures.’ The state:
(B) does not renew a teacher or principal preparation academy’s charter if the academy fails to produce the minimum number or percentage of effective teachers or principals, respectively,