Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Another Accreditor’s View On Teacher ‘Dispositions’

February 21, 2006 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

You would not know from the article “Teacher-Hopeful Runs Afoul of ‘Dispositions’” (Feb. 1, 2006) that there are two federally recognized accreditors of teacher education programs in the United States, and that the one cited in the article, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, is not the one with which Le Moyne College is affiliated.

Le Moyne, along with over 100 other institutions nationwide, is currently a candidate for accreditation from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. TEAC, in contrast to NCATE, does not rely on a program’s assessment of “dispositions,” which have become a recent point of national contention. It does, however, require evidence that a teacher education program’s graduates can teach all the students in their classes effectively and caringly.

There is rock-solid evidence that teachers’ expectations, particularly low expectations, are a contributing factor in the performance of the nation’s schools. While a teacher’s private beliefs and dispositions are solely that teacher’s business, the teacher’s behavior in the classroom that may flow from those expectations is the public’s concern and the proper subject of accreditation.

The effort to directly assess dispositions, misguided as it may be, is at its core an effort to ensure that the nation’s teachers do their best for each and every student, and not give up on students on account of their race, background, religion, heritage, wealth, parents, and so on. While TEAC goes about accreditation and the evaluation of its standards in a manner different from NCATE’s, the problem to be solved is the same for both accreditors.

Frank B. Murray

President

Teacher Education Accreditation Council

Washington, D.C.

The writer is also a professor of educational psychology at the University of Delaware school of education in Newark, Del.

A version of this article appeared in the February 22, 2006 edition of Education Week as Another Accreditor’s View On Teacher ‘Dispositions’

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 18, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 28, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read