Dear Commons Community,

Willis Hawley, professor emeritus of education and public policy at the University of Maryland College Park, former dean of the college of education from 1993 to 1998 and former dean of the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University from 1980 to 1989, has a piece in the current edition of Education Week entitled, “The 2015 Report on Colleges of Education: Why Some Prospered, and Many Fell by the Wayside”.  He paints a gloomy picture for many schools of education unless they are willing to transform and address a number of quality issues that have evolved with respect to their teacher education programs.   He predicts that “many were either eliminated or became mere shadows of their former selves.”   He sees a convergence of federal and state policies, foundation money, and technical expertise from consulting companies as forcing schools of education to change or become much less significant players in public education.   I am not sure that this will be the case and not likely within the next five years but it does speak to some of the issues that are of concern to schools of education across the country and especially those in large urban areas such as those in CUNY’s colleges.  Recent policies approved by the New York State Board of Regents allowing entities other than colleges and universities to certify teachers is an example of the type of political activity that will force schools of education to consider whether their teacher education programs can continue as they are.

The full article is available at:   http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/06/09/33hawley.h29.html?tkn=QOQFY0zLqcXWvIhWIsgXLp%2B6x7leku2lUQLe&cmp=clp-edweek

Tony