A Personal ReflectionA Personal Reflection

Sharon E. RussellSharon E. Russell

Professionalism: standards to ensure a “caring competent teacher” in every classroom.

Linda Darling HammondLinda Darling Hammond

Free Market: enable “talented individuals

without teaching degrees to enter the classroom.”

Chester FinnChester Finn

““They have tackled the quality They have tackled the quality problem by increasing regulation and problem by increasing regulation and expanding pedagogical requirements, expanding pedagogical requirements, even though this approach shrinks even though this approach shrinks the pool of candidates while having the pool of candidates while having scant effect on their qualityscant effect on their quality.”

““Turning our back on excessive and Turning our back on excessive and ill-conceived regulations and focusing ill-conceived regulations and focusing instead on student outcomes is the instead on student outcomes is the keykey.”

“Whereas some of these are carefully Whereas some of these are carefully structured post-baccalaureate structured post-baccalaureate programs, others are little more than programs, others are little more than emergency hiring options.”emergency hiring options.”

Studies of short-term alternative programs have Studies of short-term alternative programs have also noted that what little pedagogical training also noted that what little pedagogical training they provide tends to focus on they provide tends to focus on generic teaching generic teaching skills skills rather than subject-specific pedagogy, on rather than subject-specific pedagogy, on singular techniques singular techniques rather than a range of rather than a range of methods, and on methods, and on specific, immediate advicespecific, immediate advice rather than research or theory (Bliss, 1992; rather than research or theory (Bliss, 1992; Stoddart, 1992;Zumwalt, 1990).Stoddart, 1992;Zumwalt, 1990).

National Association for Alternative National Association for Alternative Certification Certification http://www.alt-teachercert.org/index.asphttp://www.alt-teachercert.org/index.asp

Teach For America Teach For America http://www.teachforamerica.org/http://www.teachforamerica.org/

New Teacher Project http://www.tntp.org/New Teacher Project http://www.tntp.org/Transition to Teaching (Office of Innovation Transition to Teaching (Office of Innovation

& Improvement) & Improvement) http://www2.ed.gov/programs/transitionteachttp://www2.ed.gov/programs/transitionteach/index.htmlh/index.html

Troops to Teachers Troops to Teachers http://www.proudtoserveagain.com/http://www.proudtoserveagain.com/

I Teach Texas http://www.iteachtexas.com/I Teach Texas http://www.iteachtexas.com/ABCTEABCTE

http://http://www.nctq.org/www.nctq.org/stpy09/stpy09/

Taken as a whole, state teacher policies are broken, Taken as a whole, state teacher policies are broken, outdated and inflexible.outdated and inflexible.

Few states' alternate routes to certification provide a Few states' alternate routes to certification provide a genuine alternative pathway into the teaching genuine alternative pathway into the teaching profession.profession.

States' requirements for elementary teacher States' requirements for elementary teacher preparation ill equip teachers of the youngest preparation ill equip teachers of the youngest students to teach the basic building blocks of all students to teach the basic building blocks of all learning: reading and mathematics.learning: reading and mathematics.

States' requirements for the preparation of special States' requirements for the preparation of special education teachers are one of the most neglected and education teachers are one of the most neglected and

dysfunctional areas of teacher policydysfunctional areas of teacher policy.. States fail to exercise appropriate oversight of their States fail to exercise appropriate oversight of their

teacher preparation programsteacher preparation programs..

Places no restrictions on alternate route usage Places no restrictions on alternate route usage or providers +or providers +

Does not ensure that elementary teachers are Does not ensure that elementary teachers are well prepared to teach mathematicswell prepared to teach mathematics

Alternate routes are not sufficiently selective Alternate routes are not sufficiently selective or flexible to the needs of nontraditional or flexible to the needs of nontraditional candidates and candidates and

Alternate routes do not ensure that candidates Alternate routes do not ensure that candidates receive streamlined preparation that meets receive streamlined preparation that meets the immediate needs of new teachers.the immediate needs of new teachers.

State collects no objective data to hold State collects no objective data to hold alternate route programs accountable for the alternate route programs accountable for the performance of the teachers they prepareperformance of the teachers they prepare.

DR. EMILY FEISTRITZER HTTP://WWW.TEACH-NOW.ORG/ HTTP://WWW.TEACH-NOW.ORG/

comprehensive comprehensive clearinghouse for clearinghouse for information about information about alternative routes alternative routes to certification to certification

National Center for National Center for Education Education InformationInformation

http://http://www.ncei.com/www.ncei.com/overview.htmloverview.html

private, non-private, non-partisan research partisan research organizationorganization

survey research survey research and data analysisand data analysis

Aggressive targeted recruitment: Aggressive targeted recruitment: talented candidates with high talented candidates with high retention ratesretention rates

600 state based program providers600 state based program providers Approximately 62,000 new teachers Approximately 62,000 new teachers

produced annuallyproduced annually 1/3 of teachers hired annually1/3 of teachers hired annually Success=market drivenSuccess=market driven Diversity: ethnicity, gender, age, Diversity: ethnicity, gender, age,

socioeconomicsocioeconomic

Designed to recruit, prepare and Designed to recruit, prepare and certify BA holderscertify BA holders

Rigorous screening processesRigorous screening processes On-the job trainingOn-the job training Coursework or equivalency in Coursework or equivalency in

professional education studiesprofessional education studies Work with mentor teachersWork with mentor teachers High performance standards for High performance standards for

completioncompletion

Learning to Teach Continuum: Multiple Learning to Teach Continuum: Multiple PathwaysPathways

Teacher Market: Teacher Lay Offs & Teacher Market: Teacher Lay Offs & Area ShortagesArea Shortages

Block Grants: Changed Funding StreamBlock Grants: Changed Funding Stream California Teacher Corps California Teacher Corps

http://www.cateachercorps.org/http://www.cateachercorps.org/ Non-governmental Organizations Non-governmental Organizations

(NGOs) and Community Based (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in Teacher Organizations (CBOs) in Teacher Preparation Preparation

Can we maintain alternative Can we maintain alternative routes without state funding?routes without state funding?

Can alternative routes generate Can alternative routes generate their own income?their own income?

What impact does an unsure What impact does an unsure market place have on market place have on alternative routes?alternative routes?

If teacher shortages end, should If teacher shortages end, should alternative routes continue?alternative routes continue?