"Advocates of bureaucratic and professional teacher accountability have been battling each other for decades in a war that has barely been acknowledged," write Arthur E. Wise and Michael D. Usdan. Teachers' organizations and others who favor advancing the teaching profession have promoted professional accountability mechanisms, such…

In this commentary, Tucker asserts that countries that perform well on international comparisons of student achievement all take a different approach to ensuring teacher quality than the United States does. These top-performing countries have established high standards for getting into schools of education; they are moving teacher education…

The author discusses the problem of teacher educators being too far removed from the realities of public school classrooms, and presents an alternative. (MK)

Argues that most current teacher preparation programs in the United States are inadequate, that no more than 200 academic institutions are capable of maintaining a competent teacher education curriculum, and that teacher preparation programs should extend at least two or three years beyond the junior year in college. (JG)

At Arizona State University, undergraduate teacher candidates were asked to make biweekly journal entries relating course content to beliefs and knowledge about teaching, classroom applications, children's probable responses, and personal reflections about teaching and learning. Many students organized their entries according to a…

Accused of promoting everything from Satanism to homosexuality, the "Impressions" reading series has come under attack in many of the 34 states using it. A teacher educator expresses chagrin at her "dream" students' half-hearted reactions to controversial articles about a series that they had judged superior. The silence of one…

Interviews Eleanor Duckworth, author of "The Having of Wonderful Ideas," concerning her thoughts on teaching and learning. A former student of Piaget, Duckworth taught in the Elementary Science Study and eventually became a teacher educator. She emphasizes the importance of starting from teachers' knowledge and understanding how children…

The typical education professor has fewer than 5 years of K-12 teaching experience; those who haven't taught in public schools for 20 years undermine prospective teachers' attitudes about teaching and have little understanding about teachers' professional problems. It is hoped the character of teacher education may be altered by the massive…

In a recent survey, experienced teacher-researchers stated that their research brought them many personal and professional benefits, including increased collegiality, a sense of empowerment, and increased self-esteem. However, most stated their research role was not permanent, because of lack of administrative and district support. A sidebar…

To enculturate the young and help them reason successfully, teachers need appropriate pedagogical and school renewal skills. An interview-based survey disclosed chronic prestige deprivation in the teacher education enterprise, lack of program coherence, theory-practice separation, and stifling bureaucratic regulations. Three promising…

The portable Program for Learning Competent Teaching, also known as the "block" or "trailer" program, is a Flagstaff School District/Northern Arizona University joint effort focused on experience, integrated coursework, total immersion, and professionalism. The program thrives because it bridges everyday experience and ideas.…

As a University of Northern Iowa project showed, reflection can help teachers develop their own educational visions and improve their self-confidence. Trained to defer to professors and supervisors for good grades and positive evaluations, student teachers said they had a voice, but had learned to withhold it. Includes seven references. (MLH)

Faculty members of the University of Illinois' College of Education and teachers in the Urbana School District are collaborating to improve elementary teacher education. Key elements of the program's Language and Literacy block are its integrated, holistic approach to language instruction and reliance on classroom videotapings to improve student…

Describes an education professor's efforts to build mentoring relationships with his students by using electronic mail. Students use e-mail to record new skills, knowledge, and techniques they have learned and have come to appreciate the opportunity to address concerns, questions, ideas, or anxieties about assignments without waiting for class or…

Asa Hilliard describes how model teaching programs (like Project SEED), mentoring, and improved teacher recruitment can inspire new teachers to realize how good teaching can be. It is crucial for teachers to develop a deep knowledge about the subjects they love, because they will be eager to share what they have learned with students. (MLH)