Joseph Rogan: How should teachers prepare themselves?
Teachers have become somewhat of a punching bag for politicians who unfairly paint us as selfish and ineffective – or even worse. It started with President Ronald Reagan who claimed government is bad. Teachers work for governments, so teachers are guilty by association.
Despite these and other attacks, researchers and sound data have confirmed what teachers always knew: Things teachers cannot control have impact, but among school factors, teachers matter most. Environmentalist Helen Caldicott was correct when she said teachers “are the most responsible and important members of society.”
How should teachers be prepared? In 2002, the U.S. Secretary of Education wanted to dismantle programs that he said imposed “burdensome requirements” on those who want to be teachers. Michigan’s current governor wants to allow anyone with a bachelor’s degree who can pass a content test to become a teacher. Teach for America claimed it can do it with a five-week summer course. Phoenix University does it online.
On the other hand, our state recently added new requirements and the U.S. Department of Education added even more. There is so much to learn that Lehigh University moved to a five-year program.
Several Stanford University professors answered the question in the report, “Does Teacher Preparation Matter?” They found that certified teachers were most effective. Teachers without professional preparation and with no certification actually had negative impacts, as did alternatively prepared teachers and people working with emergency or temporary certificates.
Experience matters, too. Experienced teachers see less student absenteeism, are more motivating and have fewer discipline problems. In a recent Education Week article, Stephen Sawchuk summarized new research that suggests teachers continue to improve for the first decade of their careers, and get even better when provided with high-quality professional development.
It is naive to debate how a teacher should be prepared because there is no prototypical teacher. Pennsylvania has four dozen certifications, and teachers get different assignments which require different skill sets. High school teachers have to know content, but one might be assigned to a class populated with students who have trouble learning it. Another might be assigned to an advanced placement class.
To earn accreditation, traditional teacher education programs must ensure that graduates mastere content, and teaching and management processes. They also have to be ready to handle diversity and adversity. They have to teach students in under-performing sections, and meet the needs of students from poverty and those for whom English is a second language. Then there are students with physical and learning disabilities – not just those included in regular classrooms. They must be ready to handle violent emotions and keep children with severe medical needs safe. Teachers make about 3,000 consequential decisions every day.
The job market for teachers has been rough. Pennsylvania actually cut about 20,000 positions, thus limiting opportunities. Now that at least some governors are reversing trends, things are starting to improve. Growing enrollments, smaller classes, special education and impending retirements mean that we need more teachers. The U.S. Department of Education found that some shortages have already occurred in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia plans to hire at least 400 for next year.
Several states already have shortages, in part because so few are in the pipeline and because about a third of the teaching force is close to retirement. The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning estimates that California needs 100,000 teachers. The Huffington Post reported that by 2020 we will have a serious national shortage. We need 167,000 new teachers just to fill new early childhood programs.
To be admitted into a program, applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average or better in high school, high SAT scores and pass a battery of tests. Once enrolled, they must meet a set of state-required courses, hundreds of hours of field experiences and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. To be certified, they must pass state-mandated tests. It may have been true in the past that people who could not do anything else could teach; now, only the best and brightest need apply.
Along with social workers, teachers are the lowest paid professionals. If salaries grew in proportion to education spending, the average salary would be $120,000. According to a McKinsey Study, salaries actually declined. Plus, politicians want to eliminate tenure, reduce pensions and otherwise cut benefits.
Under these circumstances, who wants the job? At least at Misericordia University, we have lots of clear-eyed and very bright students who want to spend the rest of their lives making a difference. They know teaching is difficult and poorly compensated, but they also know that it is the best job in the world.
Joseph Rogan, Ed.D., is a professor of teacher education at Misericordia University in Dallas.Joseph Rogan: How should teachers prepare themselves? - Times Leader - timesleader.com: