| In the education profession, there are two areas of | | | | an assessment instituted by Massachusetts. |
| preparation that we would expect to see. The first is | | | | Equally problematic, just 42% of the education schools |
| the most fundamental of preparation, learning and | | | | examined in that study had any elementary |
| mastering the concepts that the teacher will be | | | | mathematics methods course offering. Indeed, |
| teaching. The second is gaining skill and ease in the | | | | elementary mathematics is only a single level and |
| process of teaching, or pedagogy. Recent studies | | | | discipline but it is representative of similar problems |
| have found failings in both areas among university | | | | across the board. |
| education schools. | | | | One example of a teacher ill-prepared for her |
| Arthur Levine, former President of Columbia's | | | | responsibility was in the news recently. Phanna Kem |
| Teachers College, found in his report "Educating School | | | | Robishaw failed two English fluency tests while holding |
| Teachers" that "more than three out of five teacher | | | | four state licenses qualifying her to teach an |
| education alumni surveyed (62 percent) report that | | | | elementary school curriculum in mainstream, bilingual, |
| schools of education do not prepare their graduates to | | | | and special education settings. Despite the two failures, |
| cope with the realities of today's classrooms." | | | | the Massachusetts Supreme Court decided in May |
| A survey of Principals included in the same report | | | | that Ms, Robishaw could not be fired by her school. |
| found that only 54% of Principals believed schools of | | | | Even if schools were able to impose widespread |
| education sufficiently convey to future teachers "how | | | | layoffs of teachers who do not meet their minimum |
| students learn," while 72% believed that ed schools | | | | criteria, we would have a great deal of trouble |
| produced graduates with "mastery of their subject | | | | replacing them. I made the case in an earlier blog post |
| area," indicating that more a quarter did not. | | | | that we are already facing a massive teacher |
| The figures above are based on perceptions but more | | | | shortage in the US that could reach epic proportions |
| objective data exists as well thanks to a 2008 study | | | | over the next five to ten years. |
| from the National Council on Teacher Quality. That | | | | Of course, the shortcomings in teacher education |
| inquiry found that no state "requires an adequate exit | | | | discussed here are but one aspect of a multi-faceted |
| test to ensure that the teacher candidate knows the | | | | problem that includes excessive class sizes, poor |
| mathematics he or she will need" as an elementary | | | | compensation, parental passivity and a lack of |
| educator. The subtext here is that teacher licensing | | | | adequate supplies but if we're going to address poor |
| tests do include math sections but can be passed | | | | educational outcomes, this is as good a place to start |
| without answering a single math question correctly. | | | | as any. |
| Since 2008, the 0-state figure has increased to 1 with | | | | |