State Warns Colleges-Prep Teachers Better
Michigan state officials want to crack down on state colleges to ensure they are preparing future teachers to meet the state and nation's rising education standards.
The state effort comes at a time when national criticism is being heaped on teacher preparation programs. Critics say they are graduating students with too little practical experience and a weak knowledge of the content they are supposed to teach.
A 2005 report from the president of Columbia University's Teachers College in New York found that nine out of 10 principals nationally felt that teacher graduates weren't prepared, with many saying college courses lacked rigor and were outdated. About 80 percent said education schools were out of touch with K-12 schools.
This article, written by Christine MacDonald, appeared in the April 16th, 2006 publication of The Detroit News.
Published Monday, Apr. 17, 2006