3 Futures of Colleges of Education

By Richard Wisniewski

In thinking about the future of colleges of education, I am reminded of Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger." A hero faces a terrible choice. He is in an arena confronted by two doors. Behind one door is his true love; if he chooses that door, they live happily ever after. Behind the other door is a tiger and a rather different fate. There are four doors in my office, three in close proximity. More than one person on leaving has opened the door to a closet.

Prognosticating the future of colleges of education is akin to opening the wrong door. All of us, including those who say they are futurists, know as much about the future as our rear-view mirrors enable us to imagine, this being Marshall McLuhan's wonderful meta-phor. We can, of course, identify and project trend lines. We can describe what we perceive to be "sea changes." Short-term predictions can be right on the money, but projecting much beyond a few years is chancy. Nonetheless, I suggest what teacher education may be like in 20 years.

The best part about doing this is that one is free to speculate without dwelling on factors that deserve serious analysis. Suffice to say this essay is dedicated to those struggling to reform teacher preparation. These persons climb the slippery slope confronting leaders. They have demonstrated that leadership and risk-taking are synonymous. I admire their ability to make good things happen. Like them, I want a positive future for colleges of education. I want to be optimistic despite evidence...