It certainly cannot be disputed that anything that improves a profession that serves the public is a good thing. That is why on the surface that Georgia is raising the bar to improve the quality of educators from testing to ethics and improving student performance seems to be a 'win-win' for everybody.
What seems to be of remiss is the balance between trying to recruit professionals to a field that lags in pay and prestige mixed with intense pressure from schools, administrators and stakeholders including students and parents that are not held accountable when Jack and Jill or the parents do not do their jobs. I agree that whatever helps a student succeed with proven research is the right thing to do. In an article written by Rose French and Jaime Sarrio of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the bar to becoming a Georgia teacher is higher than ever. There is nothing wrong with training teachers to pass tougher tests and show they have ethics that add dignity to the profession.
What is not addressed are teacher preparation colleges. Many colleges across the country are not much more than paper mills and this includes more professional fields than education. Many colleges stay in business, (yes business) whether they make the grade or not for placing teachers in jobs as successful professionals and pumping out would be professionals whether the market of supply and demand warrants the graduates. Our student loan debt is in the billions and you tell me if a graduate who cannot find a job cares if they can pay back loans approaching six figures.
School districts and teachers always take the brunt of the educational criticism. While that is fair, it would be more fair if colleges took their fair share of the criticism and that includes preparing educators for their future careers.
In the real world, when a product does not do what it reports itself to do, consumers can take it back and responsible businesses make amends and improve their product. Colleges are not held to the same standard yet talk about themselves as if they are living in the real world. If a school cannot educate or place its graduates, should those students get their money back if they are told they should move on to another profession? Should those schools be forced to drop a teacher preparation program if they cannot produce competent graduates that can find quality employment?Look at how many schools have recruiting fairs for their various graduates in their various programs and you will see they are simply 'cranking' out the graduates who will not work in the fields of their majors. Anyone going to college will tell you when you graduate you are on your own. While I am not suggesting schools do not care about ethics or producing effective professionals but I am saying they are getting paid up front whether they do the job or not.
Prospective teachers are at the mercy of these diploma mills and so are our stakeholders and businesses that hire these kids.
How about our politicians? Does anyone remember the promises of Jason Carter and Nathan Deal earlier this month? I am betting the election rhetoric lands no responsibility on those in Atlanta that have lobbyists representing their issues while those in teacher preparation colleges blindly believe they are being best served by colleges are turning more bucks than successful professionals. I think its time to look at them as well. This is not just in teaching but across the board. To read the complete article, the link is provided below.
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