Blog Post Assignment #14

For this assignment I read Teaching Our Children can be a Profession by Joel Klein. In this article Mr. Klein discusses professionalizing teaching and making it more respected like law and medicine. Throughout this article, Klein states problems and gives solutions for these problems.

First problem: Lack of academic training for prospective teachers.
Solution: Recruit teachers from the top third of graduates.

I agree with this problem. If future educators are not properly trained, how can they teach children? I believe that education programs need to strengthen their requirements for teachers in math and reading. With this idea, future educators will be more capable of teaching math and reading to their students. I also agree with the solution to this problem. Recruiting teachers from the top third of graduating classes would ensure that schools will have the best educators possible.

Second problem: Seniority.
Solution: Letting the teachers success in the classroom decide their fate.

I agree with the problem about seniority. I believe that if a new teacher comes to a school and is more successful in the classroom than the teacher that has seniority, the teacher that is not as successful should be replaced. Teachers should be rewarded for their success, not rewarded because they have been in the field longer than another teacher. I agree with Mr. Klein that this solution would not only be beneficial for students but also teachers.

Third problem: Incompetent teachers.
Solution: Establishing a board.

Lastly, I agree with this problem also. Teacher Education should have a board that establishes standards for teachers. I like the idea of teachers being promoted based on specialty exams. I believe that teachers who pass this exam should be rewarded and those who do not, should not be.

In conclusion, Klein had some great ideas for teachers and the education program. I agree with all of the problems and his solutions. I hope that some time in the near future there will be a major improvement in the Teacher Education field.