To Build a Better Teacher

Throughout the 20th century grade-school teachers were trained in schools of education where progressive theories largely held sway and were licensed by state bureaucracies philosophically compatible with the education schools. Vested education interests now seek to make the monopoly even more controlling by requiring that all teachers be products of education schools accredited by a single national agency dedicated to progressive ideals.Holland proposes an alternative vision compatible with the emerging 21st-century paradigm of a competitive education industry: Lower unnecessary barriers to teaching so that bright persons of diverse background and disposition can become teachers. Set up an alternative trackas in New Jerseyso that bright liberal arts graduates or persons with valuable real-world experience can be hired as teachers and put under the supervision of experienced mentors. Apply value-added assessmentas in Tennesseeto these new teachers and to veteran teachers as well so that principals can see how much each teacher has helped each child progress academicallyor notfrom school year to school year. Holland''s plan to break up the teacher-prep monopoly is bound to be controversial and as such should be of great interest to allfrom parents and administrators to teachers and policy makersconcerned with improving the state of American education.