"The Fiscal Cliff" Really???

[kandrathe]

Guilds control their own quality. We do not lack for quality lawyers and doctors, and they are among the least private, most highly regulated professions. If we made education more like those professions, by both demanding more from our teachers and paying them better, we would get better teachers.

I'm pretty close to it here at our college. I work with the dean of the education program to report the quality of our teacher education program to the state and federal government. Maybe our state is different, but the program is rigorous - the first two years are pre-ed, then if they pass tests they can enter the program. Then two more years of teacher education, more tests by subject to qualify in that sub-discipline, then supervised student teaching in the fifth year. And, now, they need to document their progress meeting various state mandated goals in an online portfolio, which includes a number of videos of their teaching performance. All this goes to the State, and is reviewed. Only then, if they merit it, do they get the license to teach. The testing is coordinated with State department of education, and then administered by a third party service on behalf of the State. Our program is rated by the pass rates of our candidates. Then once licensed, every year, they need to rack up a number of continuing education credits in their disciplines to remain licensed.