Better education schools would mean better teachers | Teachers College Columbia University

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Better education schools would mean better teachers

Public school teachers carry the weight of many futures on their shoulders, and many are not well-equipped to do so.
Some researchers, according to The Plain Dealer's recent series on teacher education by reporters Scott Stephens and Edith Starzyk, fault inept programs at universities and colleges, where 90 percent of the nation's 3 million classroom teachers are trained.

Arthur Levine, a former dean of Teachers College at Columbia University, criticizes training programs for choosing low achievers and marching them through a blizzard of coursework with little attention to real classroom experience.

Accreditation organizations can begin by denying their approval to education programs so weak that they accept anyone with a heartbeat. Universities must give education students more on-the-job training. And the first question prospective education students should ask colleges is how much real-world training they provide.

The article “Better education schools would mean better teachers” appeared at May 29th on “Cleaveland.com” website. http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1212050044154220.xml&coll=2

Published Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008

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