Comments on: Stumbling blocks remain for newly minted teachers, career-switchers http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/ Informing the Public about Education through Quality Journalism Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:32:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Anthony Manzo,Ph.D. http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-403 Anthony Manzo,Ph.D. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:56:45 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-403 School Reform Leaves Teachers Behind There is a fundamental flaw in Teacher Education. There is a totally unregulated ill-formed “field of Education” with ambiguous regulation, much as did/does our collapsed financial system. Every reformer, nee every mis-educated professor and minimally educated instructor or Master Sergeant “staff development” person has joined an almost sinister cabal to overlook the fact that there is not and can not be a legitimate form of professional teacher education since there is no such thing as a set of protocols or more precisely a set of algorithms that would designate Good, Better and Best Practices. Hence there cannot be such thing as a standardized curriculum in pedagogical practices, not from one institution to another or even from one professor of teacher education to another. Reasonably then there is little meaning in using “high-risk” test outcomes to evaluate teachers when there have been no-risk tests applied in evaluation of the pragmatic principles applied to the content, or core curriculum, of “teacher education,” or simply How to teach. Sorrowfully, this is just another case of industry blindness. An algorithm can easily be designed and applied to every method of teaching ever propagated in about one year. Exhausted with trying to find collaborators in other professors, schools and grant awarding foundations and government agencies I have set out to begin to design one myself. You can see this handmade and probably overly personalized effort at: http://teacherprofessoraccountability.ning.com/main/invitation/new?xg_source=msg_wel_network and…http://bestmethodsofinstruction.com/
 Make no mistake doing anything even resembling my cobbled together effort would be very, very disruptive. It would stop a multitude of self-involved Reformers at the schoolyard gate. They would have to obtain a ticket based on practices and principles of rationality and science. The mere acceptance of the plausibility of the current chaotic state would have the effect of declaring every single Educational Leadership program as being precisely what they are, potentially fraudulent, and assuredly self-indulgent. Not a single Educational Leadership anywhere on the planet even offers a course on pedagogical science; or the content of how to teach in ways that are proven; the issue of skill in delivery and execution – quality of the teacher - can only be raised once this elementary step has become part of the knowledge base of professional Education. Fixing Education is a simple, inexpensive matter. This one fix would easily enable many others. Anthony V. Manzo, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri-KC School Reform Leaves Teachers Behind
There is a fundamental flaw in Teacher Education. There is a totally unregulated ill-formed “field of Education” with ambiguous regulation, much as did/does our collapsed financial system. Every reformer, nee every mis-educated professor and minimally educated instructor or Master Sergeant “staff development” person has joined an almost sinister cabal to overlook the fact that there is not and can not be a legitimate form of professional teacher education since there is no such thing as a set of protocols or more precisely a set of algorithms that would designate Good, Better and Best Practices. Hence there cannot be such thing as a standardized curriculum in pedagogical practices, not from one institution to another or even from one professor of teacher education to another. Reasonably then there is little meaning in using “high-risk” test outcomes to evaluate teachers when there have been no-risk tests applied in evaluation of the pragmatic principles applied to the content, or core curriculum, of “teacher education,” or simply How to teach. Sorrowfully, this is just another case of industry blindness. An algorithm can easily be designed and applied to every method of teaching ever propagated in about one year. Exhausted with trying to find collaborators in other professors, schools and grant awarding foundations and government agencies I have set out to begin to design one myself. You can see this handmade and probably overly personalized effort at: http://teacherprofessoraccountability.ning.com/main/invitation/new?xg_source=msg_wel_network and…http://bestmethodsofinstruction.com/


Make no mistake doing anything even resembling my cobbled together effort would be very, very disruptive. It would stop a multitude of self-involved Reformers at the schoolyard gate. They would have to obtain a ticket based on practices and principles of rationality and science. The mere acceptance of the plausibility of the current chaotic state would have the effect of declaring every single Educational Leadership program as being precisely what they are, potentially fraudulent, and assuredly self-indulgent. Not a single Educational Leadership anywhere on the planet even offers a course on pedagogical science; or the content of how to teach in ways that are proven; the issue of skill in delivery and execution – quality of the teacher – can only be raised once this elementary step has become part of the knowledge base of professional Education.
Fixing Education is a simple, inexpensive matter. This one fix would easily enable many others.

Anthony V. Manzo, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri-KC

]]> By: Ed Fuller http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Ed Fuller Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:13:46 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-85 The author of this article did not do her research. There are, in fact, three very well-done studies that find that alternative certification teachers leave the profession at higher rates and move schools at higher rates. See Marvel et al., 2001; Fisk, Prowda, & Beaudin, 2001; Fowler, 2003. Either the writer did not do enough background work, or this site has a political perspective to support in these stories. The author of this article did not do her research. There are, in fact, three very well-done studies that find that alternative certification teachers leave the profession at higher rates and move schools at higher rates. See Marvel et al., 2001; Fisk, Prowda, & Beaudin, 2001; Fowler, 2003.

Either the writer did not do enough background work, or this site has a political perspective to support in these stories.

]]> By: Deborah Vongerichten http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Deborah Vongerichten Tue, 25 May 2010 16:33:19 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-60 I am one of the careeer-changers, a Phoenix Teaching Fellow (a New Teacher Project program). I recently completed teacher training obtaining a MEd degree and secondary certification while concurrently teaching middle school science full time. I was placed into the classroom after a six-week summer training institute. The experience has been akin to being a non-swimmer thrown into deep water with a very flimsy life preserver. I can see why so many career changers leave the profession. Lousy pay, high demands, little support, hostile work environments, very limited resources,etc. Working conditions for teachers in urban environments leave much to be desired. The contrast between education and my previous corporate workplace are shocking and disheartening. With all the above, I remain committed to the teaching profession. The need and the rewards are great. I am one of the careeer-changers, a Phoenix Teaching Fellow (a New Teacher Project program). I recently completed teacher training obtaining a MEd degree and secondary certification while concurrently teaching middle school science full time.

I was placed into the classroom after a six-week summer training institute. The experience has been akin to being a non-swimmer thrown into deep water with a very flimsy life preserver.

I can see why so many career changers leave the profession. Lousy pay, high demands, little support, hostile work environments, very limited resources,etc. Working conditions for teachers in urban environments leave much to be desired. The contrast between education and my previous corporate workplace are shocking and disheartening.

With all the above, I remain committed to the teaching profession. The need and the rewards are great.

]]> By: Liam Goldrick http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Liam Goldrick Tue, 25 May 2010 14:37:14 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-59 I'm quite surprised to read an article purportedly about "stumbling blocks" for "newly minted teachers" and not find even a single reference to teacher induction programs. Research has shown that such programs can accelerate new teacher effectiveness. So the argument needn't be the tired debate about whether traditional or alternative preparation is superior, but should be about how we can continue to improve the effectiveness of educators once they arrive in classrooms. And we needn't focus merely on recruitment strategies. We should talk about improvement strategies. That's what effective induction programs are. High-quality, comprehensive induction programs (as well as job-embedded, career-long professional development opportunities) is a wise strategy to strengthen new teacher effectiveness. And that's especially important in high-poverty schools that employ a disproportionately high percentage of new educators. I’m quite surprised to read an article purportedly about “stumbling blocks” for “newly minted teachers” and not find even a single reference to teacher induction programs. Research has shown that such programs can accelerate new teacher effectiveness. So the argument needn’t be the tired debate about whether traditional or alternative preparation is superior, but should be about how we can continue to improve the effectiveness of educators once they arrive in classrooms. And we needn’t focus merely on recruitment strategies. We should talk about improvement strategies. That’s what effective induction programs are. High-quality, comprehensive induction programs (as well as job-embedded, career-long professional development opportunities) is a wise strategy to strengthen new teacher effectiveness. And that’s especially important in high-poverty schools that employ a disproportionately high percentage of new educators.

]]> By: Career-Switching http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Career-Switching Thu, 20 May 2010 13:59:53 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-53 [...] Nicole on May 20, 2010 According to this article, new teachers (career switchers) are quite unprepared for their new roles as educators and should [...] [...] Nicole on May 20, 2010 According to this article, new teachers (career switchers) are quite unprepared for their new roles as educators and should [...]

]]> By: Ed Fuller http://hechingerreport.org/content/stumbling-blocks-remain-for-newly-minted-teachers-career-switchers_2648/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Ed Fuller Tue, 18 May 2010 02:14:49 +0000 http://hechingerreport.org/?p=2648#comment-51 Actually, I have done extensive research in Texas and have consistently found that career-change teachers have a higher attrition rate than traditionally trained teachers. This is true in raw attrition rates for different types of schools as well as after controlling for individual characteristics, school characteristics, and district characteristics. Some of the difference disappears after controlling for the amount of pre-service training offered by the program. What was shocking is that some for-profit programs provide NO pre-service training, little mentoring and support, and only require secondary teachers to have 12 undergraduate credits in the area the6y want to teach. There is no doubt that career-change teachers leave at higher rates and have a greater probability of leaving. Actually, I have done extensive research in Texas and have consistently found that career-change teachers have a higher attrition rate than traditionally trained teachers. This is true in raw attrition rates for different types of schools as well as after controlling for individual characteristics, school characteristics, and district characteristics. Some of the difference disappears after controlling for the amount of pre-service training offered by the program.

What was shocking is that some for-profit programs provide NO pre-service training, little mentoring and support, and only require secondary teachers to have 12 undergraduate credits in the area the6y want to teach.

There is no doubt that career-change teachers leave at higher rates and have a greater probability of leaving.

]]>