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PARTISAN REVIEW
Ideally, a teacher should have at least a bachelor's degree in the subject
to be taught, combined with some training in teaching that subject at an
appropriate level. I say "combined" because I think almost all of what goes
on in ed school is a waste of time, to say nothing of taxpayer funds. The
best class in preparing future teachers that I witnessed in a year of auditing
ed school offerings was a class devoted to the Italian high Renaissance, an
anomaly in the curriculum of a large university where it was possible for
education students to elect such a course in the history department. These
young men and women were having their minds opened to the ideas and
arts and poli tical developments of the Quattrocento, and every once in a
while during his lecture and the discussion that followed, the professor
would insert a comment, perhaps a tip, along the lines of, "Now, a good
way to make this clear to your students...." or "Here's a comparison with
something your kids will recognize...." I'm suggesting that a good teacher
of any subject can transmit the knowledge of how to teach that subject
while doing so, both by precept and example. And I'd add some months of
practice teaching with mentoring by experienced teachers before the
novice took over a classroom.
What's wrong with this picture?
In
the public school today the novice
teacher will be required to deal with mainstreamed handicapped students
along with those who are ready for more challenging fare . Until at least
some teachers are freed from the obligations imposed by the special edu–
cation requirements, the ed schools are likely to retain their monopoly in
the public schools.
So while working toward the goal of replacing pedagogy with intel–
lectual substance, the strategy must be to make an end run around the ed
schools and the teachers' unions. Here, of course, is where the burgeoning
charter school movement can make a difference, hiring teachers who have
not followed the lockstep credentialing route. I am thinking in particular
of the mid-life career changers, retired military personnel, and young peo–
ple fresh out of liberal
arts
programs, all of whom have either life
experience or a commitment to a newly acquired fund of knowledge to
offer in place of state certification. You'll hear more from others about
charter schools.
In
this context they shine as the one bright hope for
immediate relief from the unqualified credentialed teacher.
Higher standards of knowledge and understanding, demonstrated by
national testing, is the answer to the teacher training conundrum. But as
Chester Finn has pointed out, "testing" is anathema to the Left, as "nation–
al" is to the Right. Nor are we a society largely concerned with
intellectual distinction. American children spend more hours watching
television than doing homework, and most American parents are satisfied
with their children's schooling. They're bringing home good grades and
if
