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Vast reforms proposed for teacher credential programs
When California placed a one-year limit on the length of teacher preparation programs back in 1970, there were no personal computers, tablets or smart phones; no online classes or Common Core standards; and not nearly as many English learners in public schools. Recognizing that these graduate programs can’t squeeze in an additional 40 years of knowledge and change into a one-year program, a state panel is recommending that the cap be lifted, among a range of other … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Featured, Preparation, Reporting & Analysis, Teachers
California Head Start teachers lag behind national average in earning bachelor’s degrees
Sixty-two percent of Head Start teachers nationwide now hold a bachelor’s degree, surpassing a federal guideline calling for at least half of the teachers to hold the advanced degree by this fall, according to a brief by the New America Foundation released earlier this month. In California, only 48 percent of Head Start teachers have met that bar, according to the California Head Start Association. The 2007 Head Start Act says at least half of the country’s Head Start teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree by Sept. 30, 2013. There is no penalty for individual states or providers that have not met the federal requirement. Still, a significantly larger percentage of teachers in California have earned bachelor’s degrees since the new requirement was first issued, as EdSource has reported. Only 27 percent of Head … Read entire article »
Filed under: Early Childhood, Head Start, Preparation, Quick Hits, Teachers
Evolving from professional development to professional learning
Every student deserves an effective teacher, one who is always seeking the very best ways to reach each student. While there has always been an onus on teachers to commit to improving, state and district leaders must also improve professional learning opportunities for teachers. Fortunately, as a state, we are beginning to take strides in this direction. In September, a task force convened by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s office released “Greatness by Design.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, Evaluation, Featured, Preparation, Teachers
California needs alternative certification now more than ever
California, now more than ever, is facing an urgent need for qualified and talented professionals to enter our teaching workforce. At a time when one-third of California’s educators are nearing retirement, school districts are going to need the thousands of teachers entering the profession through alternative certification programs, which allow candidates to teach in the classroom while simultaneously earning their teaching credential. This is not the time for hasty policy decisions that threaten to further … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, Featured, Preparation, Teachers
State toughens regs for interns teaching English learners
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing will now require non-credentialed Teach For America teachers and other intern teachers to receive more training in how to teach English learners and to get weekly on-the-job mentoring and supervision. The Commission’s unanimous vote last week followed two hours of public testimony and debate among commissioners over 14 separate recommendations aimed at improving the rigor and preparation of interns to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach the state’s 1.4 … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commission on Teacher Credentialing, English learners, Featured, Preparation, Reporting & Analysis, Teachers
Staffing a universal preschool program will be no small task
President Obama’s rhetorical plea for universal preschool has yet to be translated into an actionable policy proposal, but we can reasonably assume that any expansion of early learning services for young children will create a demand for more preschool teachers. And not just more teachers but trained ones: Twenty-nine state-funded preschool programs currently require educators with a bachelor’s degree, and many of them demand additional teacher certification. Two days after the State of the Union, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, Early Childhood, Featured, Preparation, Teacher Pay, Teachers
Credentialing commission head says California teachers lead way in stress levels
Against the backdrop of a national survey showing half of teachers experiencing “great stress” on the job, the head of California’s teacher credentialing commission says that stress levels among the state’s teachers are likely to be even higher. “I would think California would be at the forefront of this group (of stressed-out teachers) and teachers’ stress levels here even higher,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, professor of Education at Stanford University’s School of Education and chair of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: College and Career Preparation, Common Core standards, Featured, Preparation, Reporting & Analysis, Standardized tests, Standards, Teachers, Tests, Tests & Assessments, Twenty-first Century Learning
Q&A: What do early childhood educators need to know?
Dr. Marcy Whitebook has been part of the early education world since the early 1970s, when she graduated college and went to work as a preschool teacher. Today she’s the director of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley. As part of a new, occasional Question and Answer series with leaders in California education, EdSource Today’s Lillian Mongeau sat down with Whitebook in her office in January. The conversation delved into … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Kindergarten and Preschool, Preparation, Q&A, Reporting & Analysis, Teacher Pay, Teachers
State’s D in teacher prep nearly average
There’s no sign of a bell curve in the latest scores of state teacher preparation programs. California received an overall grade of D on the 2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook released by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). No, that’s not great, but it may be easier to bear knowing that the national average was a whopping D+. “With so much attention on the issue of teacher effectiveness, the relative lack of attention to how … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Preparation, Reporting & Analysis, Teachers
Video Highlights from
2013 EdSource Symposium
Transforming Public Education: What's Next For
Students, Teachers and Schools
- In Partnership with the California State PTA -
May 4th symposium in San Jose featured a number of prominent speakers on key challenges in education today, including Linda Darling-Hammond, Martha Kanter, and Pedro Noguera.
You can find video of those speakers and more at our new YouTube channel by clicking below.
National Council on Teacher Quality report is deeply flawed
June 18th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Linda Darling-Hammond / commentary
This week, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) issued a report, NCTQ Teacher Prep Review. Billed as a consumer’s guide, the report rates teacher preparation programs on a list of criteria ranging from selection and content preparation to coursework and student teaching aimed at the development of teaching skills. While the report appropriately focuses on these aspects of teacher education, it does not, unfortunately, accurately reflect the work of teacher education programs in California … Read entire article »
Filed under: Commentary, Featured, Preparation, Teachers