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Meaningful Change In Education


Emergency-credentialed teachers have provided a short-term solution to long-term problems. Superintendent Thompson (Clarion-Ledger, May 2002) has advocated for a three-week summer "boot camp" to infuse more people into the classroom. Most educators and administrators realize this is a quantity response to a quality problem. Unfortunately, simply increasing quantity may whiplash the profession by suppressing salary advancement, perpetuating public criticism of instructional effectiveness, and placing a "faculty" (people) that may be difficult to remove once employed. Simultaneously, the traditional, accreditation-driven structure inherent in university teacher preparation programs may have exacerbated the impact of the personnel shortages by delivering a product, which is often considered out of synch with public schools. Mississippi, like many other states, appears to be leaning toward a quick fix and diverting resources away from traditional programs. A good, hard look at the pros and cons as well as the benefits and hazards of staying the course of traditional programs and/or embracing alternate pathways for teacher development must be undertaken. .
             Kozleski, Mainzer, & Deschler, 2001 indicated that a sense of isolation, lack of administrative support, and paperwork all contribute to job dissatisfaction among teachers during their initial assignments. According to Mastropieri (2001), some difficulties that are particularly acute for first year teachers arise when a mismatch occurs between the teacher's training and experience and job placement. For example, some teachers are prepared for elementary school and then placed at the middle or secondary level or in special education due to a shortage circumstance. This misassignment may actually increase when less formal structures (like three-week bootcamps) are implemented. Alternate preparation pathways will not overcome abuses in hiring practices; strategic planning for transformation is warranted to achieve a comprehensive understanding of issues among all stakeholders in the enterprise of education.


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