REDEFINING TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM IN THE USA

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REDEFINING TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM IN THE USA

• KEN ZEICHNER
• UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

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ASSUMPTIONS

• A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL TO
  DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES.
• TEACHERS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN
  EDUCATION IN DETERMINING EDUCATIONAL QUALITY.
• THE SOCIAL PRECONDITIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS
  MUST ALSO BE PRESENT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO BE
  SUCCESSFUL.
• THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IS BROADER THAN
  PREPARING WORKERS FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
  (CITIZENSHIP, MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE, ETC.)

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IN THE USA

• THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS WORKED HARD TO
  PRIVITIZE K-12 EDUCATION AND TO DEREGULATE
  TEACHER EDUCATION AND TO MINIMIZE THE INFLUENCE
  OF TEACHER UNIONS. (UNDERFUNDING OF EDUCATION
  MANDATES).
• THE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN ON PREPARING TEACHERS HAS
  LOW LEVEL TECHNICIANS TO OBDEDIATELY IMPELEMENT
  TEACHING SCRIPTS TO RAISE TEST SCORES.
• THE GOVERNMENT HAS SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF
  FAST-TRACK TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS WITH LOW
  STANDARDS OFTEN NOT INVOLVING HIGHER EDUCATION
  WHERE MOST OF THE PREPARATION TAKES PLACE ON THE
  JOB.
• DEPROFESSINAIZING TEACING PROVIDES A RELIABLE
  MARKET FOR NEW TECAHERS AND GREATER PROFITS FOR
  THE NEW TEACHER EDUCATION ENTERPRISES.

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WHAT TO DO

• REDEFINING TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM MUST CHALLENGE
  THE UNDERLYING NEO-LIBERAL PROJECT OF CHANGING
  EDUCATION AND TEACHER EDUCATION FROM PUBLIC
  GOODS TO PRIVATE COMMODITIES.
• REDEFINING TEACHER PROFESSIONALIZING MUST INVOLVE
  GOVERNMENT INVESTIMENT IN A STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOL
  SYSTEM (TEACHER SALARIES AND WORKING CONDITIONS,
  CPD) AND IN PREPARING TEACHERS TO EXERCISE THEIR
  JUDGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM IN THE BEST INTERESTS
  OF THEIR STUDENTS.-MUST RECOGNIZE THE MULTIPLE
  PURPOSES OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.