The Governance of Teacher Education and Systemic Reform

Changing schools is hard work, has unpredictable results, and seems unlikely when directed from "the center. " Teacher education policy should rest on the meta-modeling of constructivist theory: It corresponds to developing understandings about learning; what has to be done has to be "learned" by those charged with implementation. "Loose coupling" is not, therefore, a deficiency that systemic reform should overcome so much as a desideratum for educators in highly idiosyncratic sites with changing particularities who must serve through means and for ends that are themselves warmly contested. Systemic reform for teacher education will come only through actions taken to enhance the professionalism of teaching as it is performed. ft must be driven by a national system of accreditation for teacher education. A comprehensive professional development effort for all teacher educators on standards development activities is recommended as is the outright rejection of inadequate routes to licensure and/or employment in teaching.