Fast-Track Teacher Education Programs: The Spaghetti Model

One of the ideas for getting more teachers into the classroom has been to look at fast-track alternative teacher preparation programs such as Teach for America.? These kinds of programs are based on the spaghetti model: Throw enough spaghetti on the wall and some of it will stick.? In other words - throw a bunch of low-paid, poorly prepared teachers into the classroom and some will eventually stick around, making it to a second year.?

Let me ask you this: Would you go to a fast-track dentist??? What about a dentist who was part of a Dentists for America program?? Most would say no.? We expect a certain level of training and expertise from those whom we entrust with the care of our teeth.? Why would we think it appropriate to expect anything less of those whom we entrust with the care and education of our children??

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PROBLEMS WITH THE SPAGHETTI MODEL

There are four major problems with the spaghetti model:

1. Lack of knowledge.? Master teachers have four kinds of knowledge: (a) content knowledge, (b) knowledge of general teaching strategies or pedagogical knowledge, (c) knowledge of teaching strategies for specific subject areas or pedagogical content knowledge, and (d) knowledge of learning theories and human development.? This knowledge is acquired over time.? Fast-track teachers do not have the time to acquire it.? Thus, they do not have the depth and breadth of requisite knowledge to adequately do the job. ??This leads to bad teaching, less student learning, more teacher burnout, and constant teacher turnover.

2. Designed dependency.? Without a wide range of teaching tools or an adequate understanding of teaching and learning, fast-track teachers are reliant on (a) the directions written in teachers manuals, (b) pre-packaged-for-profit-standardized-one-size-fits-all programs, (c) folklore and tradition, or (d) “experts”.? They thus become dependent on entities outside the classroom to make decisions about what is best for their students.? These entities know nothing of their individual students, the school environment, or the learning context.? It also means that ineffective, one-size-fits-all teaching strategies get perpetuated.?

3. Students learn less.? The students of fast-track teachers do not learn as much as they do from a skilled teacher.? Shouldn’t all parents expect that their children will have highly trained, capable teachers?? Would you want your child to have a classroom teacher who was learning on the job??

4. ADCT syndrome.? The spaghetti model further de-professionalizes the teaching profession. ?It promotes ADCT syndrome (any dumbass can teach).? This ultimately serves to suppress teaching wages and keep working conditions from improving.? These are the very conditions that make it necessary for programs like Teach for America to exist in the first place.? Thus, teacher licensure programs based on the spaghetti model do more to exacerbate the teacher shortage problem in the long term than to fix it.?

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AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL

There is a need for alternative teacher licensure programs; however, such programs should be a solution to the problem – not something that perpetuates it (as does the spaghetti model).? To be effective, an ATL program should have the following ten elements:

1. Post-Baccalaureate.? An ATL program would be designed for those with a B.S. or B.A. who are looking to transition into education.? Of course, to attract professional educators, we must prepare them like professionals and pay them like professionals.

2. Intense summer preparation.? Entry into the classroom would be preceded by an extensive 10- to 12-week summer session designed to provide a basic understanding of theories of teaching and learning and some understanding of some of the basic pedagogical strategies and teaching methods.? Coursework would be comprised of 6 to no more than 9 college credits.? This initial summer session should be no less than 10 weeks in duration because humans simply cannot fast-track learn these complex theories and strategies. ?Complex learning cannot be crammed into 2- to 4-week blocks.? It takes time (this reflects basic learning theory).?

3. Focus on knowledge learned over time.? As stated above, learning to teach well is a complex process that occurs over time.? Many who enter the teaching profession from the workforce have acquired a body of real-world knowledge upon which to draw.? While helpful, this is not sufficient to teach effectively.? Thus, ATL programs should focus on enabling teachers to acquire pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and knowledge of learners and learning.? As stated previously, you cannot fast-track learn this knowledge with the depth and breadth necessary to use it.? Thus, acquisition of such knowledge would be distributed over time (three years).

4. In context over time.? Learning occurs best if learning episodes are distributed over time and if they occur in authentic contexts.? An appropriately designed ATL enables this to occur.?

5. Scaffolding, mentoring, feedback, and support.? ATL programs should provide the scaffolding necessary to enable ATL teachers to be successful.? This would include mentoring and support from a master teacher in all phases of teaching including lesson planning, teaching strategies, lessons, assessment and evaluation, and behavior management.? This support would build upon and reinforce the knowledge and skills covered in the intensive summer preparation pre-teaching experiences.? This mentorship presence would be for a minimum of one hour each day in the ATL classroom.

6. On-the-job student teaching.? All required student teaching experiences would occur on the job as part of teacher mentoring.? This student teaching would not occur as a single block over 12 to 15-weeks; but would be broken up into short 3- and 4-week periods spread out over three to four semesters.?

7. Minimum coursework during the school year.? Teaching is hard and demanding work.? Coursework is necessary for the continued acquisition of knowledge; however, it should be kept to a minimum during the school year.? Thus, no more than 3 graduate credits should be taken in any semester.? Anything more than this detracts from teachers’ learning as well as classroom preparation and teaching.? (Basic human learning theory informs us here.)? To complement beginning teachers' busy lives, graduate courses would include asynchronous online offerings or Saturday/online hybrid offerings.

8. All academic standards are fully addressed.? ATL teachers would be required to demonstrate mastery of all the standards required of any other teacher candidate.? However, because ATL teachers learn in context over time, they would have a much deeper level of understanding and mastery than teachers from traditional teacher preparation programs.

9. ATL certification occurs in stages.? This would be a 3-year program.? Each stage would be commensurate with an increase in pay until full licensure is achieved.? In terms of credits and coursework, the program would look something like this:

10. Continued, rigorous professional development with pay increases to maintain licensure.? A finished teaching product is not created in any teacher preparation program.? It is folly to think otherwise.? At best, teacher preparation programs provide the basis from which to begin the journey toward being and becoming a master teacher.? As well, because of continued research in a variety of areas, the education world is continuing to evolve and change.? Therefore, to maintain licensure, all teachers would be required to engage in rigorous professional development every three years.? This would focus on the acquisition and development of four kinds of knowledge required to be a master teacher: (a) content knowledge, (b) pedagogical knowledge, (c) pedagogical content knowledge, and (d) knowledge of learners and learning.? ?Pay increases would be linked to the demonstrated mastery of new knowledge as well as new pedagogical and technical skills.

THE RIGHT TRACK, NOT THE FAST TRACK

One-size-fits-all teacher preparation programs do not work for all teachers.? Thus, to ensure a workforce of knowledgeable, skilled, professional educators, a variety of teacher preparation models are needed.? However, they must be the right kind of models.? This short article described four problems with fast-track teacher preparation programs as well as ten elements necessary for effective alternative teacher licensure programs

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