Teacher Education in America: Reform Agendas for the Twenty-First Century

Teacher preparation has always furnished a target for lively criticism. From the days of the first teachers’ "normal" schools in the late 1830s to the elaborate preparatory programs offered in contemporary schools and universities, the question of how best to train classroom teachers for the nation’s schools has been a topic of continuing controversy. In Teacher Education in America, Christopher Lucas offers valuable insights into this ongoing debate. Including an illuminating account of the history of teacher education in the United States, Teacher Education in America is a thought-provoking analysis of the major issues and problems surrounding teacher preparation. Lucas reveals the traditional four-year undergraduate programs--as well as the short-term "alternative" teacher certification routes--to be largely insufficient to the needs of the nation’s schools. In addition, he studies and critiques the so-called "field-based" models which have been touted as the wave of the future. Concluding with a thoughtful assessment of what may lie ahead, Lucas offers a challenging and provocative new direction for teacher education reform for the twenty-first century.