teacher preparation

Boldly going where no group has gone before - that is what ABCTE is all about. This month, we have set the unprecedented goal of recruiting 900 new teacher candidates into our program. To do this, we have discounted the program by $150 for January to give people the incentive to enroll.

Every one of our 34 employees are focused on making this goal a reality. We are going to be traveling across all our ABCTE states to talk to people who want to teach and get them focused on making their dream a reality.

Greetings!

ABCTE has issued over 2,000 teaching certifications to date and made incredible progress. So many of these teachers have sent us great success stories from the classroom and they describe how happy they are to have made the decision to pursue a career in teaching.

Another great plug for alternative teacher certification and for ABCTE in the Heartland Institutes monthly publication. This time Ben DeGrow reviews the latest alternative teacher certification study showing we need alternative quality routes to teaching in order to ensure that we have enough great teachers. The article has some great quotes (including mine) on where teacher certification is moving.

Secretary Arne Duncan hit the one-two punch of teacher preparation this week focusing on how poorly our teachers are prepared in general and then how they need a greater emphasis on math and science if we are to succeed as a nation.

“By almost any standard, many if not most of the nation’s 1,450 schools, colleges, and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st century classroom.”

So very true.

I spent a little of last week meeting in Utah on their performance based teacher certification program - the ARL. They are really pleased with the people that become teachers through that program. There are no seat time requirements or minimum hours required. You demonstrate you have the knowledge, through a program like ABCTE, and you can become a teacher. Meanwhile, down in Louisiana, they created an alternative program that requires enough university based credits to be one couse shy of a Master's.

Trying to change education when people cling to ancient rituals (like current teacher certification rules) can be discouraging. What we look for to keep us going is adults in the system who aren’t focused on what they want but are truly focused on the students. So it was great to sit down with the Washington Post on Sunday morning with a great cup of coffee and enjoy this piece in the opinion section.

"It's not glamorous, it's not a status position," said Schmitt, 44. "Guys at a young age are chasing after big dreams, big money. But at some point, later in life, they look for a job that's more meaningful." From the Fewer Male Teachers article in the Chicago Tribune.

For those who are interested in getting more info on Colorado, you can hear the melodic voice of Dave Saba (me) on a podcast from the Independence Institute. Also, here is a great post from ediswatching on the latest education happenings in Colorado.