reciprocity
Other states recognizing your teacher certification
positives of reciprocity
-balance teacher supply and demand
-improve opportunities for teachers
-reduce inbreeding in local school systems
-improve teacher morale
negatives of reciprocity
each state is different and state might not be best fit for teacher
alternative teacher certification (ATC)
helps prospective teachers pursue certification without following the traditional preparation path at schools and colleges of education
common elements of ATC
-offers tracks designed for accomplished professionals with bachelor's degrees in other fields
-screening mechanisms for admission, like tests and interviews
-provisions for field-based work
-mentoring by professionals in the field
-rigorous criteria for program completion
Teach for America (TFA)
association that takes grad students with high achievement scores and puts them in 8 week intensive training and places them in school districts with severe urban problems
-statistics have shown both promising and bad results
advantages of ATC
-learning to teach on the job will be a more meaningful experience and can help determine what works and what doesn't
-attracts teachers to shortage areas like math and science
-attracts minority teachers and retired persons with special skills
-it will stimulate colleges and schools to improve their teacher-training programs
disadvantages of ATC
-learning to teach on the job is overwhelming and many fail to develop
-many participants realize they are unsuited for teaching and withdraw shortly
-places most inexperienced teachers in places that really need the best, experienced teachers
standardized tests and role in teacher certification
-more than 40 states require prospective teachers pass a series of Praxis exams developed by the Education Testing Service (ETS) that tests teachers in reading, language, math, and subject-area specialty
-controversial topic
positives of standardized tests in teacher certification
-improve public confidence in teaching force
negatives of standardized tests in teacher certification
-excludes people who do poorly on paper and pencil tests
-biased against minorities and other candidates not from the cultural mainstream
-data suggests scores on tests correlate poorly with subsequent on the job measures of teaching effectiveness
A Nation at Risk report
-best known and most influential of national reports focused on problems of education in US
-prepared by the National Commission on Excellence in Education sponsored by US department of education
-argued that US at risk in the sense that its once unchallenged dominance in commerce, industry, service, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world
-claims that major reason for its decline is a "rising tide of mediocrity" in schools
A Nation at Risk report suggestions
-set higher standards for entry into profession
-institute merit pay
-add an additional month of teacher employment with pay
-institute a "career ladder" so that qualified people progress from beginning>experienced>master teacher
-involve master teachers in mentoring probationary teachers
No Child Left Behind Act (2001)
-Centerpiece of George W. Bush administration's agenda for education
-NCLB represents a sweeping overhaul of federal efforts to support elementary and secondary education
-sets the goal of having every child making the grade on state-defined education standards by the end of the 2013-2014 school year
-outlines minimum qualifications needed by teachers
-highly qualified teacher must have a bachelor's degree, full state certification, demonstrated competency (passed rigorous tests in subjects) as defined by the state in each core academic subject they teach
positive effects of NCLB
-encourages teachers to work hard and teach curriculum
-holds teachers and students accountable
-uniformed curriculum nationally (allows kids and teachers to move states and perform at same level)
-strong emphasis on reading, math and science
negative effects of NCLB (Alfie Kohn)
-students less interested in learning
-prefer easy tasks so they can get good grades
-devastated by bad performance
-performance matters more than learning itself
-preoccupied with their ability rather than if they made an effort
critics claim these 4 characteristics are questionable for teaching to be a full profession
1. A defined body of knowledge and skills
2. Control over licensing standards and entry requirements
3. Autonomy in making decisions about selected work spheres
4. High prestige and economic standing
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
grants national board certification to recognize outstanding teachers who have passed a series of rigorous tests in their field
-certification is voluntary and cannot be required as a condition of hiring but many state and local school boards have developed incentives to encourage teachers to seek national certification
-certification based on 5 core propositions
State teacher certification
-license issued by the government of a state to teach in the public schools of that state
-it is illegal to teach in a public school without state teacher certification
merit pay
a supplement to a teacher's base salary to reward superior performance
merit pay positives
-teachers whose students consistently score high on achievement tests should be rewarded for excellent teaching
-teachers who give up many hours of their own time deserve extra compensation
-promotes excellence in teaching and improved performance
-best candidates who are not being recognized for outstanding teaching may be inclined to leave profession for higher-paying professions
merit pay negatives
-hard to define whether or not the teacher's contribution is the main factor relating to achievement and social attitudes (could be family life, social class, and peers)
-merit pay may encourage conformity instead of innovative, creative approaches to teaching
-taxpayers may not be willing to pay for a fair merit pay system
-competition for merit pay pits one against another instead of encourage cooperation
two biggest professional organizations for teachers
National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
NEA
-largest professional organization for teachers
-includes teachers and administrators at national level
-represents primarily suburban and rural teachers
-historically resistant to collective bargaining (strikes)
-3/4 of nation's public school teachers are members
AFT
-open to teachers and any other school-related personnel
-Affiliated with American Federation of Labor- Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
-represents primarily urban teachers in big and medium cities
-long history of collective bargaining and endorsing strikes
Education vs Schooling
SCHOOLING: teaching information that helps educate and expand students' knowledge in a variety of fields
EDUCATION: much broader and less structured, learning, while schooling is more institutionalized
phi delta kappa/gallup poll of educational issues
-improving the quality of teachers should be the top national education priority
-fix underperforming schools by providing comprehensive external support
-they support charter schools
-college education is necessary for today's students
-quality of work (including improvements in student learning) should determine how much teachers earn
Model of Ethical Justification
*CRITICAL-EVALUATIVE LEVEL*
ETHICAL THEORY- system of principles that are ordered, prioritize 1 principle over another
PRINCIPLES- More general values that guide some decisions, aren't as specific as rules
RULES-specific standards of behavior
*INTUITIVE LEVEL*
Facts of situation + ordinary moral sense=obvious solution
5 ethical principles
BJFAN:
Beneficence- doing good
Justice- fairness, accommodation for disabilities
Fidelity- honoring commitments to people
Autonomy- ability to make decisions by yourself, and respecting others' decisions
Nonmaleficense- doing no harm
Two principles of NEA
1. Commitment to the student-strives to help each student realize his or her potential as a worthy and effective member of society
2. Commitment to the profession-educator shall exert every effort to raise professional standards
Sputnik and its role in emergence of modern educational reform movement
Soviet launch of first artificial earth satellite, falling behind russia in technology
-major push to improve education, especially science
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965
-provided supplementary assistance to disadvantaged children through such things as reading programs for poor kids
-not only improved education but alleviated poverty
US Department of Education (1979)
-provided for stronger advocacy for education at the federal level
-study education and improve it
Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (ECIA) and formerly (ESEA)
-continues effort to alleviate poverty through education
Goals 2000: Educate America Act
-signed into law in 1994 by President Clinton
-established framework to identify academic standards, measure student progress, and provide resources to states and communities so students could reach their full potential
-predecessor to No Child Left Behind Act
10 characteristics of profession
ACAH-SCALPS
A defined body of knowledge and skills
Control over licensing standards and entry requirements
Autonomy in making decisions
High prestige and economic standing
Sense of public service, lifetime commitment to career
Code of ethics
Acceptance of responsibility for judgements
Lengthy period of training
Professional associations to provide recognition for individual achievements
Self-governing organization