1st Edition
New Pathways in Teacher Preparation and Certification Perspectives on Alternative Teacher Education Methods
In this compelling and timely collection, Eric Wearne and a group of diverse contributors make the case for a new approach to teacher preparation and certification, in which institutions are empowered to educate, prepare, certify, hire, and develop teachers who have been prepared by different educational traditions.
In the first part, contributors offer a background in history, policy, and economics to argue the need for more creativity in teacher preparation. In the second part, Wearne and contributors showcase how a variety of different, creative educational organizations have prepared teachers more clearly suited to their specific school models— from Montessori teacher preparation, to teaching online, to teaching in classical schools.
Overall, this collection prompts those involved in teacher preparation to work to find creative solutions for improving teacher education, certification, and hiring and is relevant for scholars, policymakers, educators, and administrators working in or studying teacher education programs.
Part 1: Teacher Preparation: The “Missing Institution” and Why We Need It 1. Introduction 2. The Missing Institution 3. Teacher Education and Institutional Isomorphism: An Inexorable Dilemma, or a Problem Ready to Be Solved? 4. The Economics (and Some Politics) of Teacher Licensure Part 2: Genuine Alternatives and New Pathways in Teacher Preparation 5. To Offer a Living Education 6. Montessori Forward: A Values-informed Pedagogy, Practice and Epistemology 7. The CiRCE Apprenticeship: A Classical Approach 8. Preparing Teacher Candidates to Teach Online 9. Microschools: Enabling Evidence-based Practices at Scale 10. Bridging practice and theory in teacher training using a mobile app for teachers in low-cost private schools in India and Nigeria 11. Conclusion
Biography
Eric Wearne is Associate Professor and Director of the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University, USA.
"Teacher preparation programs impose hefty costs on prospective teachers, too often emphasize ideology rather than instruction, and yet don't actually ensure that new teachers are ready to teach. It's time to rethink this arrangement. This new volume, from Eric Wearne and a clutch of thoughtful contributors, is a timely, valuable resource for those seeking something better."
Frederick M. Hess, Senior Fellow and Director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute
"The pandemic not only changed schooling for parents, it altered education forever for educators as well. That is why this new book, New Pathways in Teacher Preparation and Certification, is so important. It highlights some of the new thinking in teacher preparation and presents real examples of how the profession of teaching is changing for the better."
Robert C. Enlow, President and CEO of EdChoice
"Due to state-enforced monopolies on teacher certification which have sheltered mediocrity for many decades under the mantle of professionalism, teacher preparation has not kept up with the proliferation in distinct K–12 schooling models. While for various reasons alternative schools are increasingly popular, the pathways into education and the means of teacher education are still controlled almost entirely by an outdated monoculture. This book explains the reasons for this great disequilibrium through careful examinations of the current legal and institutional environment in teacher education and offers several intriguing studies of truly alternative teacher preparation programs. It treats a neglected question in the conversation surrounding school choice and will surely move the needle for K–12 education reform in a positive direction."
Dr. John Peterson, Assistant Dean of the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts, Graduate Dirctor for the Clasical Education and American Studies graduate programs; and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Humanities at the University of Dallas
