TEACHER PREPARATION AND QUALITY EDUCATION

Today a great deal of attention is focused on the quality of the nation's teaching force, and most states are reexamining teacher preparation requirements. While the American Federation of Teachers welcomes this venture, we believe all constituencies in education and the public must have input to this discussion. Reform must be based not on quick-fix faddism but on what we have learned through experience and research about the art and science of teaching and optimal learning environments.

Such discussion requires federal support to bring together in working forums representatives of the major education organizations and the public and specialists in teacher preparation. Meaningful reform is likely to involve changes in institutional structures at all levels, including modifications in program content, staffing patterns, and reward systems. Such change is possible only with all constituents' concerns being fully aired and the impact of change explored and resolved satisfactorily for affected parties.

Several factors take on prime importance in this examination. First, if we are to maintain standards in teacher preparation suitable to a profession, these must apply in times of both shortage and surplus. Second, teacher preparation must be acknowledged as extending beyond the preservice level to ongoing inservice training and staff development programs.

RESOLVED, that federal funding is needed for a national forum to allow a comprehensive discussion of teacher preparation reform, involving the various constituencies within education and the public; and

RESOLVED, that proposals for change be based on the best of experiential knowledge and research on training, knowledge utilization and dissemination, and effective practice; and

RESOLVED, that standards for preparation in teaching and school administration be maintained in times of shortage and surplus; and

RESOLVED, that shortages in minority representation in the profession be examined for underlying causes, such as the inability of the teaching profession to attract candidates compared to other professions or the lack of access by minorities to equal educational opportunity; and

RESOLVED, that teacher preparation reform at the preservice level include examination of the following concerns:

New accreditation procedures are needed in both teacher education and throughout the university that guarantee maximum quality despite political and economic pressures and that are streamlined to cause minimal disruption in service provision;

Admission policies in teacher education should be based on selection criteria which give reasonable assurance that only highly qualified candidates are given the opportunity to enter the profession;

Program content, sequence and length at the preservice level are in need of examination and revision;

Actual and simulated field experience should be integrated throughout the preservice teacher preparation program;

Field work by college personnel in the schools should be recognized in promotion and tenure;

Training in basic research techniques and problem-solving or inquiry skills should be incorporated in the preservice program;

Initial teacher certification should be contingent upon consideration of a range of factors, including successful completion of a rigorous college teacher education program; a written entrance examination testing acceptable levels of competence in basic skills, pedagogy and subject matter knowledge; and personal attributes and accomplishments;

Monies should be appropriated at the federal and state levels for use in research on entrance level test questions which are unbiased and job-related, the research to include significant input from teacher representatives, education researchers, and testing experts;

Because four years are generally insufficient to provide adequate training in both liberal arts and pedagogy, permanent certification should depend upon successful completion of a one-to-two-year internship program.

RESOLVED, that professional growth opportunities should be available through the use of teacher release time and compensation for working outside the school day for the purpose of updating and refining skills; and

RESOLVED, that teacher centers and similar staff development programs giving teachers a significant voice In collaborative staff development efforts should be available to serve all teachers within the system; and

RESOLVED, that colleges of education and school systems should develop closer collaborative relationship focusing on teacher recruitment, program development, research dissemination, staff development and preservice teacher preparation.