Prominent Teacher-Educator Appointed First President of TEAC

By Jeff Archer

A group seeking to offer teacher education programs an alternative form of accreditation has tapped University of Delaware professor Frank B. Murray, a prominent scholar and advocate of teacher professionalism, to serve at its helm.

Mr. Murray's appointment as the president of the nascent Teacher Education Accreditation Council came as a surprise to some given his work with the long-established National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, whose philosophy on evaluating programs contrasts sharply with that of TEAC.

But others say TEAC's choice in a new leader lends credence to its efforts, which have been criticized by some educators who question the need...