Duncan Cites Shortcomings of Teacher Preparation

Secretary Spreads Blame for Quality of Programs

In what had been billed as a major speech on teacher education, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week reiterated concerns about the quality of the schools that produce a majority of the nation’s teachers.

But some observers said that by praising several new teacher-preparation initiatives, he struck a more conciliatory tone toward the institutions than he did in a speech on similar themes delivered less than two weeks earlier.

Mr. Duncan delivered his speech , the capstone of several events focused on teacher preparation this month, before 900 educators gathered at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. He called on programs to continue their improvement, saying most have not kept pace with a now decade long focus on student outcomes. Using milder language than he did in the previous speech, he also said they are doing “a mediocre job” of preparing teachers for the...