Teach Effectively!

In a column for Newsweek, George Will argues that, because schools and colleges of education harbor some professors who spout nonsense about education and students’ outcomes are deplorably low, not having those institutions would improve education. Basing much of his case on an article by Robin Wilson in the 16 December 2005 Chronicle of Higher Education, Mr. Will cites instances of teacher educators promoting a political view inconsistent with his, a view which he apparently sees as the root of the ills in US education.

The surest, quickest way to add quality to primary and secondary education would be addition by subtraction: Close all the schools of education. Consider The Chronicle of Higher Education’s recent report concerning the schools that certify America’s teachers.

Many education schools discourage, even disqualify, prospective teachers who lack the correct “disposition,” meaning those who do not embrace today’s “progressive” political catechism. Karen Siegfried had a 3.75 grade-point average at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, but after voicing conservative views, she was told by her education professors that she lacked the “professional disposition” teachers need. She is now studying to be an aviation technician.

Although I do not share his political views, I share Mr. Will’s disdain for much of the anti-intellectualism popular among some of my colleagues and common in some schools of education. Like my former colleague Don Hirsch, I consider the maleducation promoted by some of my colleagues as an insult to liberal education, producing the exact opposite of the expressed goals of progressivism.

However, I do not see the solution arising from the demise of schools and colleges of education. To conclude that ed schools should be closed because of the views of some among my colleagues is analgous to arguing that because some columnists make mistakes, newspapers should cease publishing columnists’ work. Instead, let’s get to the important job: Preparing prospective teachers to teach effectively.

The matter of what they should teach—which I suspect is an unstated part of Mr. Will’s concern—is a legitimate subject for debate among the populace. (I have my own views and would be glad to discuss them.) Once the public has reasonably agreed on the goals of education, it is then really a technical matter of determining how to teach (in humane ways) so that students reach those goals efficiently. To provide the pedagogical knowledge and skills to teachers for such teaching, we’ll benefit from having schools and colleges of education that focus on effect instruction.

So, yes, let’s cut the claptrap out of teacher education, but let’s not presume that we need to kill the patient to remove the tumor.

Link to Mr. Will’s commentary. Link to Robin Wilson’s article (note: subscription required). By the way, Newsweek tracks blogs that comment on columns; here’s a link to the page summarizing the discussion of Mr. Will’s column.