What would it look like?
After reading the three articles, watching the BBC newscast and reading the section on Finland our book, I was amazed at the amount of emphasis that was put into teacher education and then further professional development. In Finland, their prospective pool of teachers is taken from 15% of college graduates. They then receive a 3 year graduate level teacher education program. Besides, providing a more intensive education program, these candidates are provided this schooling at no cost. They aren’t burdened with the expense of their college education or student loans upon graduation. If that isn’t amazing enough in my opinion, they even get a stipend during college. Wow, what would that be like? It’s hard to even imagine how competitive it must be and how valued teachers are in that country. Somehow, I can’t even get my mind around the foreign nature of the idea.
In America we are used to such opposing tradition in our teacher education system, with few if any perks or allowances. Imagine the candidates that could be recruited and then kept if America could offer even a similar situation. Top high school graduates who are selecting other more lucrative fields of study or who are just aiming for a more valued profession could be obtained. We could also recruit the best of the best if we somehow could adopt just some of the practices of these other countries who are compensating their future teachers.
The Finland model reminded me of North Carolina in its value of teachers and education. I could see how a place of importance within the government really sparked change in both situations. When North Carolina’s governor enacted a different system of teacher education and then retention of teachers, their education system improved.
I know that it is unrealistic to think that the U.S. would ever go as far as Finland in their training of teachers and in conjunction their value of the profession, but it is something to think about. What would it look like in America if we did value it as much? Would we still lose teachers in the first five years of service? Would we have high need areas with low educated teachers? Would we have crumbling buildings and no supplies? Would we be cutting programs? Would we have failing schools and AYP jail? Somehow, I don’t think so.
I agree with most of what you said, Tonya. I think that it is backwards of the U.S. to expect students to go to college if they can't afford it. If the U.S. wants more of its students to go to college, it needs to make college more affordable. Teachers are expected to do so much, and continue their education to retain their teaching license, with their own money. It is important for teachers to continue their education, but the cost needs to be at least cut down.
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