Implementing Promising Practices To Prepare Quality Teacher Educators

Abstract

The United States does more than just talk; it invests a lot of money in public education. While students are the major focus of concern, teachers are a mainstay in the enterprise. In 2002, the U.S. invested $192 billion in teacher pay and benefits. More than 50% of all dollars allocated by the government for education is paid in salaries for teachers, yet there is little research to guide decisions as whom to hire, retain, and promote (Rice, 2003). However, the general consensus is that under good teachers, students get a good education, and under poor teachers, students get a poor education. The difference between the two makes a world of difference. The U. S. cannot afford to trust its most valuable asset – students - to the tutelage of poor teachers. Doing so would be to run the risk of needlessly suffering from medical conditions, financial woes, and a quality of life not befitting a highly advanced nation.

This manuscript provides a functional framework for the student and faculty, a review of related literature, and a detailed description of an individual effort at implementing promising practices to prepare quality teacher educators. The expectation is that information and preliminary findings that are provided will, in some way, further thinking and effort at producing effective teachers to staff our schools.