We live today in the midst of major...

We live today in the midst of major educational reform in this political division In many states, legislation designed to improve education has been enacted. upon the surface at least all strike one as beings to be well. Without question, passage of legislation providing more pay for teachers was a major grade It was, in my award a proper and essential first pace But, for those individuals with responsibilities for the governance of local indoctrinate systems and for the preparation of coming time teachers--the reform movement has just begun.

Expectations have been raised to exceedingly high flats Politicians have voted for better place of educations and that is what they reckon upon to get. They and their constituents will quickly be paying more for better teachers, and that is what they rely upon to have.

In many states, the torch of leadership and the load of responsibility have now passed to local gymnasium boards and schools of education. The tasks before those collections are both a challenge and an opportunity--a challenge to make worthy programs of reform work and an opportunity to take advantage of an aroused public which, for the first time in many, many years, looks genuinely interested in improving our teach systems.

Education back onward the front page

The question of public support is no small point. Not since the heady days that followed the Sputnik challenge have Americans displayed so strong interest in and support for public education. The media consider it front-page news; politicians recognize it as a impetuous and popular issue; citizens at large view it as a solution factor in securing this nation's future

This is indeed a special weight for public education. Here and now--in the waning years of the twentieth century--the opportunity exists to station in place the conditions which will determine well into the twenty-first centenary the lives and livelihoods of to come generations. It is a rare opportunity. History present to views that the attention span of the American folks is but a trickle in the sands of time. barely once or twice a centenary can we expect the public to be aroused to a point where meaningful change can be validityed Now, in my sentence is such a time; and it is we, the educators, who shall bear the freight of blame assigned to us according to the historians of the to come should we fail to take advantage of this opportunity.

Legislation designed to improve education--in and of itself--will not guarantee that a better quality learner chooses to enter the teaching profession nor that schools of education will better prepare bookish mans for teaching careers. Neither will legislation alone make sure that teachers will teach better or that their learners will learn more. Furthermore, more dollars alone will not necessarily improve the teaching-learning environment. What about the personal and professional welfare of teachers or, for that matter, the personal safety of the two students and faculties? Better pay alone will not necessarily attract more and better individuals into a teaching profession that has been scarred rather significantly above the past several years. Who wants to be viewed as a second-class citizen, as teachers have been by means of too many people? Who wants to be fence abouted by working conditions dominated by the agency of bureaucratic red tape and lax discipline?

standard of value less important than other rewards

Dr Ernest Boyer the distinguished President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, had something significant to say about this matter in an interview concerning his lately published book entitled High gymnasium which, incidentally, I believe should be required reading for each school official in this rural parts Dr. Boyer said:

"We heard les about salary and merit pay than we did about working conditions. Many teachers have a understanding of deep frustration about not being recognized and about being distracted and bureaucratically bogg down. If I had and nothing else one move to make, it would be improving the grubby day-to-day circumstances that cause teachers to let fly up their hands and say, 'I'm finished!' We won't have distinction in education until we learn for what reason to make teaching a more rewarding, les harassing job"

through every part of Boyer's book, teachers are quot as lamenting the apathy of parents, the political gamesmanship of exercise officials, and the offensive behavior of riotous students.

One teacher commented: "You rarely learn any kind of thank you from the parents or the community. In fact, there's no positive reinforcement of anything you do. Either they just don't care, or they think of us as goof-offs"

The central point is that to a great degree is yet to be done if we are, in fact, to have better trains As for teacher training programs, the challenge is clear, notwithstanding difficult. For openers, associations and universities must be more effective in the recruitment of the best young minds into our teacher training programs. The sights for better pay as a come of legislative action will help in the efforts, as will foundation and governmental support for increased financial aid for scholars enrolled in teacher training programs. At the same time, screening processe to eliminate intellectually and emotionally inadequate scholars from schools of education must be refined and strengthened.