Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs - by Kathryn Baron
A number of proposals before a state board would strengthen teacher training.
When California placed a one-year limit on the length of teacher preparation programs back in 1970, there were no personal computers, tablets or smart phones; no online classes or Common Core standards; and not nearly as many English learners in public schools. Recognizing that these graduate programs can’t squeeze an additional 40 years of knowledge and change into a one-year program, a state panel is recommending that the cap be lifted, among a range of other proposed changes intended to modernize and strengthen how teachers are prepared for the classroom.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing will begin considering 40 reforms Thursday proposed by its Teacher Preparation Advisory Panel, charged with updating the requirements to become a fully credentialed teacher.
“The most pronounced thing that we started looking at on the very first day of meetings was Common Core standards. That really permeated nearly all of the recommendations,” said advisory