One of the worst sins of Teach for America is that it has convinced politicians and corporate leaders that teachers need little or no professional preparation. Unlike doctors, lawyers, social workers, architects, engineers, or any other profession, teachers are allegedly well prepared to teach simply by holding a college degree and getting five weeks of training. In any other profession, this would be considered absurd. But TFA has sold our elites on this devaluation of the profession.
This reader has another view of what is really needed:
Dear Diane,
I am currently retired after teaching in Glenview, Illinois for 34 years. In the early 90’s our district was invited to create a clinical model school by the Illinois Department of Education. The idea was to develop a more comprehensive and effective method for inducting students into the profession.
Candidates applying for the program needed to have a BA, with preferably several years of post graduate employment. The program was modeled on the medical profession’s training. First year interns were placed with master teachers in three different classrooms at three different levels. During this first year, they functioned much as a traditional student teacher under the direct supervision of their mentor teachers. University classes were taken at night and on weekends.
The second and third years these interns became residents and were assigned their own classrooms, but still connected to a mentor teacher at their same grade level. This mentor counseled them through their first opening of the school year, their ongoing planning, their first teacher conferences, report cards, and closing of the school year.
At the end of two years, they received their master’s degree in education and also had two years of teaching experience. I’m sure many would say that this is too time consuming and expensive a process, but until we decide that teaching is a serious profession that demands long-term commitment, we will not produce the skilled teachers that are needed to address the needs of our children.
We currently have a system that invites anyone with a college degree and a pulse to be a teacher. So how do we think that’s going? It invites exactly the kind of contempt that we are receiving at the hands of hedge fund managers and other “reformy” know-it-alls.
Full disclosure. The above clinical model school was finally phased out of the district when the administrators and teachers who were so invested in it retired, and as new school board members were elected. That’s the other major challenge. Even when an effective system is developed, it is terrifically difficult to replicate and to sustain because the societal commitment is not there.
Sorry to go on so long, but I thought you might be interested to know that such a program was actually up and running nearly twenty years ago.
Georgia Gebhardt
Wilmette, IL
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I’m almost through my 3rd year of teaching,and while I have had an ear to the ground concerning politics and teaching, I am still experiencing the culture shock of how rigorous and just plain intense my teacher training was (Bachelor’s at Bowling Green State University) compared to the way teachers have been maligned nowadays. I went into this thing knowing it would be hard work and probably not a lot of pay, but the outright union busting and disrespect is bizarre to me. It bums me out, man 🙂
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interesting that there is some parallel between this model and how they prepare and induct teachers in Finland, which despite not focusing on tests has consistently had the highest test scores in international comparisons of any nation
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Diane, thanks for sharing this and to Georgia Gebhardt, thank you for writing this. It should be required reading for every local, state, and federal politician and anyone who works in a “department” with the word education in it.
You have captured what it means to be professional in two ways.
First, you note you retired after 34 years of teaching. Reading this and what you designed, I imagine you are one of those teachers who never stopped learning like so many others who just keep learning more about children, content, pedagogy, and schools. You define professional.
Second, I imagine, too, that when you decided to teach you didn’t think it was a short term gig so why bother learning anything new. Instead, it was the beginning of a CAREER of mission and continued learning to reach all students. Again – you exemplify what it means to be a professional.
And, imagine that – a state department with common sense. Too bad that’s “old school.” It works.
In two districts where I worked in St. Louis, we had Professional Development School & District relationships with some excellent institutions that were known for developing teachers who are “reflective practitioners” and that concept is the key. In our district (New York) now we have a PDS approach and interns who are getting remarkable experience as they begin their careers with some as remarkable teachers.
I admire the mission and intent of the Teacher for Awhilers, just like those who joined the Peace Corps when President Kennedy inspired service. Seems our leaders now only want to inspire is a business model that (ab)uses the mission of these students to facilitate test driven scripted curriculum.
Thank you, Ms Gebhardt for sharing.
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We get what we pay for. We want Finland, but we don’t do anything that Finland does to prepare teachers and educate their children. We want things, but on the cheap and quickly. It must be maddening to the EdReformers who want to pull this off, but the huge % of children in poverty and their dedicated teachers are getting in the way. Blaming teachers is the equivalent to throwing a temper tantrum. No, they move in on the Pre-K kidlets. Very vulnerable group, but a financial goldmine. Duncan gives great speeches outlining all the right things. Doesn’t mean a word! Will try to do it in the cheap and rush little ones through Gates-proofed instruction and shame teachers if developmentally their little ones are not ready. Creating potential at-risk learners in Pre-K.
Is this a great country?
Way too adolescent as a nation!!!
Will our adults please take the helm?
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I totally agree with the concept of this training program. While I’m a veteran teacher, I can remember back over 20 years ago to my rookie experiences. I would say it takes about five years to become fully acclimated to the profession. Before I was comfortable with what I was doing, I can remember thinking things like, should I write this kid up or will it make me look like I don’t have control? If I don’t coach this sport or advise this club, will I be seen as a non-team player–or do I take on everything they throw at me while I’m still trying to figure out how to manage a classroom? Do I have to write down everything I plan to say in a lesson like a script or should I just outline what I plan on saying in my lessons? How do I plan for five different preps per day? Should I plan one subject on Monday for next week, one on Tuesday for next week and so on so that I’m not inundated with planning? How long can I take to grade essays before I give them back? If I haven’t graded them all yet, should I give them back piecemeal until I’ve graded them all? Should I talk to a student’s football coach to get some help with getting this kid to do work in class? Will he listen or think I’m a pest?
All of these types of things take time to figure out, and your confidence and ability grows over time. You don’t know how to teach after five weeks of training, and you don’t know how to teach just because you got a bachelor’s degree. Just like a doctor, you need hands-on training over a course of time to figure things out. All schools should have a mentoring program for rookie teachers in place. When I was a rookie, I befriended a veteran teacher who was my sounding board, and I had a great department head who took the time to sit with me at the end of everyday of my first year to go over my day. I’m forever thankful to them, and I try to be that person to the new teachers now.
Funny, two of my high school friends became TFA teachers, and all these years later, neither one of them is still teaching while I still am.
BTW, looking forward to seeing you speak at the ASSET Conference tomorrow, Dr. Ravitch!
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Very interesting. I was part of a similar program at the University of Texas at Arlington in the mid-90s and it had a similar fate. There, when funding was needed to continue funding, tenured university professors were the stumbling block. They did not enjoy being in schools and the rigor if the program.
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Diane, though it may be six-of-one and a half-dozen of another, I’d quibble with you about one thing.
I don’t think TFA has sold corporate America on the de-skilling and devaluation of teaching. TFA is instead one of corporate America’s primary vehicles for the devaluation of teaching and the public schools.
TFA has established a very lucrative position as a training institute for privatization, and a wedge to remove tenured teachers in unionized districts.
They are the cat’s paw, not the one whispering in the King’s ear.
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I’d concur. Recalling the early discussions of TFA, it really was to be the Peace Corps of teaching. They got caught up in the corporate factory-model wave and became cheap labor with a business model that expects (hopes) they’ll only stay for two to three years.
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“Unlike doctors, lawyers, social workers, architects, engineers, or any other profession….”
Don’t lump social workers in with the others. They’re more like teachers. I left the profession in part because I got sick and tired of everyone with an opinion thinking that theirs was equally as valid as mine despite never having walked in my shoes. Just watch the media whenever any famous “Baby Richard” type case comes along. Everyone just *knows* what *should* have been done, the problem is just that social workers are too lazy, self-centered, government controlled, or simply downright evil to do it. Again, it’s a female -dominated field, so of course everyone else knows better than those working in it, right?
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I am sorry to say that in my city (Buffalo, NY) we, too, have colleges that accept anyone with a pulse into their education programs. It definitely shows in the caliber of student teachers I am seeing. Recent student teachers that I have mentored are more interested in talking to my classroom aide about clothing and vacations than planning and looking beyond a worksheet for every activity. When I mention the lack of passion to their supervisors I am told my expectations are too high, that I need to remember they are just starting out. Writing a lesson plan seems to be a skill of the past and student teachers have admitted they want to “wing it” when teaching a lesson. My most recent student teachers have rushed out the door at the end of the day to get to their jobs (I thought student teaching was their job) and do not arrive one minute before they have to. Also, the colleges here are not informing the education students of the current climate in education or the reform/privatization movement. With all the pressures on us through APPR, I think I am done taking students teachers for awhile.
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One of the most disturbing bits of data (we must all be “data-driven,” must we not?) I came across while doing my pre-launch research on the National Council on Teacher Quality (the Bottle Rockets are coming, NCTQ, just be patient; that salvo you got after publishing that vile cartoon was just a taste) was this name on their page listing their Advisory Board: Wendy “Five Weeks is Plenty of Time” Kopp! Wow. Why all the dark hinting around about the need to “reform” teacher prep programs at the university level when they’re listening to someone who doesn’t even think such programs are necessary at all? Now, she’s only one name on that list, and not even the most disturbing one you’ll see there (trust me on THAT one), but I have to wonder why she’d even bother? Is she just padding the old resume, or is she working to have some influence on NCTQ’s policy recommendations? I should probably try not to think about it too much…I have a weak heart…
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Social work and teaching the two easiest jobs, I have done besides a summer of factory work!
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@ JD, then you were not doing them correctly.
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June, I’m pretty sure JD was being sarcastic. If you were BOTH being sarcastic, then we desperately need some smilies to help! And if you were both SERIOUS, then I will shut up now and go away… 😉
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A teacher education model that respects the contributions of teacher education faculty and the mentor teachers in the schools. A program that allows for the time to learn, reflect, connect theory and practice. A relationship based model.
Hmmmm, no bar exam? no ‘objective’ rubric scored by out-sourced unknown employees of Pearson? No profit for Pearson and no ‘national standards’ to be met by one measure?
Thank you George for reminding us that the work of learning to be a teacher and teaching teachers should not be anymore subject to the madness of data driven and the pretense of objectivity than the work of classroom teachers.
We need more people to do the work, more time, and more respect. Not more infringement from Pearson or self-selected deciders.
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Georgia, Please take the time to read, “Yes, We Are STUPID in America!”. There is a section devoted to deficient teacher preparation programs and TAPP teachers ( alternative route to teaching in Georgia). You have the right idea about preparing teachers to teach.
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This is exactly the type of design for getting teachers field trained after graduation that we need. Too much experience is lost with retirement! Some could come back to mentor and coach. I like the medical school model as it would tend to also cull the herd from those not serious with teaching as a lifetime profession. I also taught 34 years a d mentored new teachers my last 4 years- it was rewarding for both of us!
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In the state of California, there is no way to become a public school teacher without doing the student teaching portion, which amounts to six months of an unpaid internship while attending school full-time. The people who can afford to do this are people supported by their parents or a spouse. Those are the people who become public school teachers. It leaves out many creative, intelligent, well-educated, thoughtful people who would make amazing teachers because they cannot afford to basically stop working and supporting themselves (and their families) for six months. If you want different (read: better) teachers, then the system has to be changed. I know there are a LOT of problems with the T4A model, but sometimes that is the only way people can afford to get into public school teaching.
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I was lucky enough to get a grant from the State of California to do my student teaching. I still had to work weekends though. It really is a ridiculous system. Without the grant, I’m not sure what I would have done.
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Barbara–was that the Governor’s grant program? That was an amazing program for so many reasons! It is heartbreaking that it was done away with.
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That kind of two year training program, what used to be called a MAT, Master of Arts in Teaching, is surely the right way to go. But I’d liken it more to an apprenticeship to a master craftsman, not a professional training program.
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Now this contradicts what Connecticut requires which is to be “most highly qualified” you must have your Master’s to move from Provisional to Professional in certification. So theoretically, if the plan is to open charter schools, wouldn’t teachers need to be most highly qualified and not TFA teachers???
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They get it waived, after a fashion. TFA in CT do not have to meet the highly qualified requirement. I believe they work under a Durational Shortage Area Permit, which is a temporary certificate that can be renewed for three years.
The problem is that a district is not supposed to be able to hire staff under a DSAP if there are certified applicants in the pool. I am not sure how they get around this rule. I know of a school near me that has quite a few TFA, but is ironically located across the street from a state university that has a large education program.
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Imagine the chagrin of the traditional full time Ed graduate student (who student taught for free) as he sits in class next to the TFA corps member, who is paid at a step 1 bachelor rate and gets money to put towards his graduate classes.
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I’ve attached a piece I’ve written in response to Dr. Frederick Hess’s position on certification for school administrators. Dr. Hess and others believe that a high school principal does not need to have prior teaching experience, which is currently a requirement of the majority of states. I strongly disagree with him. Regards(Mr.) Jan Ophus Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:35:52 +0000 To: janophus@msn.com
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Teaching is an art and a science.
Knowing one’s content is critical, but knowing how to comprehensibly impart it to younger people is a very precise art and science. If anything, the process of becoming a teacher should become even more rigorous, much like a doctor. There should be a subsidized 5 year internship with a highly effective mentor before anyone can set foot full time alone in a classroom permanently. The cost for this would not be cheap, and without proper funding, this model would slow the entire system down with employment pool issues. But proper funding would solve that.
The cost of a world class education is not cheap, but not impossible in a country as rich as ours.
The cost of a society that has poorly educated people is horrific and far more devestating.
TFA is a swift smack in the head to parents, real teachers, and children. Do doctors and attorneys get 6 to 8 weeks of training only and then litigate for or operate on people?
TFA is a sad joke, and ultimately children become its punchline.
We civic participants across the country will fight for legislation that outlaws such destructive and counterproductive practices. We will begin our fight by informing the poor and/or uninformed about how bad a practice TFA really is.
It’s the children of the less fortunate who are usually affected first and the most.
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A superintendent I know is going to let two teachers, alternatively certified, go at the end of the year. Once is just plain incompetent, the other cannot pass the state certification exam. Both went through 3 month alternative certification programs.
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Intensive teacher training is possible and effective, when planned carefully and coupled with clinical experiences, supportive supervision, and ongoing assignments and workshops related to classroom work. However TFA programs (and others like them) fill the prospective teachers’ heads with ideals over 5 weeks and then place them in the classrooms with some of the most challenging and needy students and schools with some of the least resources. Without ongoing and supportive mentor-ship in their schools, many TFAers leave the profession within a couple years.
On the other hand, many traditional university-based teacher preparation programs focus on coursework and methods classes at the expense of clinical experience. This causes a separation in teachers’ minds about how to be a good student in college and how to be a good teacher in schools. Few teacher ed. programs have the skills to tie research/coursework and practice together for prospective teachers.
Take a look at two examples that put a greater focus on learning from experience:
1) DePaul University in Chicago: they are moving away from traditional coursework and toward Professional Learning Communities (PLC), where grad. and undergrad. students are in the field every semester of their program, and professors teach in the evenings at the schools in PLCs, focusing on skills needed for the classroom.
2) Montessori teacher preparation programs https://www.amshq.org/Teacher%20Resources/AMS%20Teacher%20Education%20Programs.aspx
An alternative approach to education, where the prospective teacher often takes two intensive summer sessions to learn about curriculum, philosophy, working with families, and classroom management. The student then spends a full year in a classroom as an intern with regular supervision visits from an experienced master teacher to support them in trying out those skills learned over the summers.
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Every methods course I’ve ever taught, at over a half dozen colleges, has included clinical experiences, and it was the same when I took methods courses myself years ago.
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Diane, one can no longer look to professional schools in law and medicine for guidance. Capitalists are done squeezing just “low-skill” jobs. Time to move to the professional class: teachers, doctors, lawyers and even those STEM careers!
Any idealistic bone the medical student may have is fractured with the sticker price of medical school. $300,000 is not uncommon these days. To avoid indentured servitude, TREAT TO THE TEST! The higher the price for tests and procedures, the more quickly the new doctor can get out of Debtor Prison!
Never mind that over-testing and over-treating is not good for the patient!
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/06/many-common-medical-tests-and-treatments-are-unnecessary/index.htm
And law?
The plan is one of a dozen efforts across the country to address two acute — and seemingly contradictory — problems: heavily indebted law graduates with no clients and a vast number of Americans unable to afford a lawyer…
A pilot program at the University of California Hastings College of the Law will place some third-year students into offices like the public defender’s for full-time training on the understanding that the next year those students will be employed there for small salaries. The program is called Lawyers for America, a conscious echo of Teach for America, in which high-achieving college graduates work in low-income neighborhood schools. The hope, said Prof. Marsha Cohen of Hastings, is that other law schools will follow the model. Professor Caplow of Brooklyn Law said her school planned to be one of the first.
Really existing capitalism is undermining all professions! Never heard of really existing capitalism?
http://www.alternet.org/noam-chomsky-can-civilization-survive-capitalism
The truncated democracy that Dewey condemned has been left in tatters in recent years. Now control of government is narrowly concentrated at the peak of the income scale, while the large majority “down below” has been virtually disenfranchised. The current political-economic system is a form of plutocracy, diverging sharply from democracy, if by that concept we mean political arrangements in which policy is significantly influenced by the public will.
Really existing capitalism devalues professions with “value-added” measures of accountability!
There is so much to learn from the Global Education Reform Movement!
Rewarding Physicians for Their Patients’ Health Outcomes:
What Can Medicare Learn from Education’s Value-Added Models?
Click to access value-added_health_wp.pdf
If healthcare is a market, there must be efficiencies!
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/final-reports/efficiency/hcemappe.html#explanation
How many of you love the “efficiencies” of the doctor typing into the electronic medical record, neither giving eye contact or touching you in the physical exam?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/03/the-robot-will-see-you-now/309216/
“A world mostly without doctors (at least average ones) is not only reasonable, but also more likely than not,” wrote Vinod Khosla, a venture capitalist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, in a 2012 TechCrunch article titled “Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?” He even put a number on his prediction: someday, he said, computers and robots would replace four out of five physicians in the United States.
Expect more of this warm “personalized” approach, propagandized as “consumer-driven” because really existing capitalism is incompatible with a healthy society.
For those billionaires who extract human capital for their disposal; who pollute our water, air and food; and who wreak havoc on real markets and financial institutions, we need REAL ACCOUNTABILITY. How about value-subtracted measures for a CEO-to-prison-pipeline?
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In “Proust Wasn’t a Neuorscientist. Neither Was Jonah Lehrer.” Boris Kachka writes that as Lehrer’s life was unraveling he told journalist Michael Moynahan, who was instrumental in reporting on Lehrer’s plagiarism, that if Moynihan outed him, he, Lehrer, “would never write again—would end up nothing more than a schoolteacher.”
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Dear Other Spaces,
I agree that while many teacher education programs “have” a clinical experience, it may be only one tacked-on semester out of four years of coursework. What I’m trying to get at is the important role of colleges in bridging and integrating skills taught in the college classroom with skills practiced and refined in the “real world” teacher’s classroom. Unfortunately, these experiences for pre-service teachers are often very separate.
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