Were You Well-Taught?

Education schools in America ’s universities need major makeovers in teacher preparation, says Arthur Levine, former president of Columbia University ’s Teachers College and author of the recent report Educating School Teachers. Too many universities are focusing on the quantity, rather than quality, of graduates, he says.

An exception are schools accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, Levine adds, which account for about two-thirds of the nation’s new teachers. But NCATE accreditation is voluntary, making it less of a priority for “weak or selective schools,” says NCATE President Arthur Wise.

NEA President Reg Weaver praised NCATE for raising standards, but also pointed out that accreditation isn’t the sole solution to educating and keeping new teachers. “With new teachers leaving the profession at such a rapid rate, we must invest more time, money, and resources, not only in teacher preparation, but in recruitment and retention efforts as well,” he says.

—Natalie McGill