The Politics of Teacher Education in the New Millennium: Implications for Special Education Teacher Educators

Abstract

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandates a 'highly qualified' teacher for every child in a Title I school by 2005–06. teacher education has become a 'front burner' political issue in Washington and statehouses across the U.S. Debates have arisen regarding how 'highly qualified' should be defined, and what type of teacher education is needed, or if any is needed, to ensure a highly qualified workforce. This article describes the positions of those who propose that teacher education be deregulated, and those who support the professionalization of teaching and teacher education. What we know from available evidence about the characteristics of high quality teacher education programs is then addressed. The paper concludes with a review of the implications of the current political climate for teacher education and special education and possible directions for future research that is needed to influence policy decisions.

Effective inclusive teacher education for special educational needs and disabilities: Some more thoughts on the way forward

“…It has been widely proposed that the task of teacher preparation programmes is to establish beginning teachers as critical activists, capable of deconstructing exclusive practices (McLeskey & Ross, 2004;Waitoller & Artiles, 2013). However, it is important to understand how challenging a project this for student teachers at the start of their careers when they may be relatively powerless.…”

Planning in the Middle: Co-Planning Between General and Special Education

“…According to the Individuals With Disabilities database, 53.7% of students with disabilities were served in the general education setting 80% of the time or more in 2007 compared with 45.9% in 2000and 49.9% in 2004(U.S. Department of Education, 2010. Additionally, the emphasis on students with disabilities making equal annual yearly progress similar to their peers without disabilities has created struggles for students and teachers (Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004;McLeskey & Ross, 2004).…”

“…As a result schools are increasingly educating students with disabilities in the general education settings (McLeskey & Ross, 2004). According to the Individuals With Disabilities database, 53.7% of students with disabilities were served in the general education setting 80% of the time or more in 2007 compared with 45.9% in 2000and 49.9% in 2004(U.S. Department of Education, 2010.…”

“…One of the biggest struggles for students with disabilities meeting state proficiency levels (McLeskey & Ross, 2004) has been with blending the services of general and special education to guarantee that students with disabilities successfully progress in the general education setting at the same rate as their peers. If students with disabilities are to be included in the general education setting and held accountable for mastering state standards, then the bottom line for practice is that general educators and special educators must work in partnership in all aspects of instruction to serve all students (Cook & Friend, 1995;Dieker & Murawski, 2003;Friend, Cook, HurleyChamberlain, & Shamberger, 2010), the ultimate outcome being student success.…”

Pre-service Teachers Identify Connections between Teaching-learning and Literacy Strategies

“…The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of procedures and outcomes of the "learning-to-teach" behaviors of Pre-Service Teachers in the specific context of delivering scripted reading lessons and essential literacy strategies to students who struggle with reading. While most of the special education research focuses on efficacy of interventions, the content of effective professional development for pre-service special education teachers falls significantly behind the demand for teaching all students with rigor and transparency (Lang & Fox, 2004;Leko & Borwnell, 2009;McLeskey & Ross, 2004;Sindelar et al, 2010).…”