Education, The Profession

Until the late-20th century, most people in the United States and elsewhere believed that the teaching profession required mostly human-caring skills rather than a high degree of instructional expertise. Because of this perception, teachers usually received little formal preparation before entering the classroom, particularly at the elementary and secondary school levels. This perception changed in the 1970s, as schools began placing greater value on formal preparation for teachers. For example, some schools offered higher salaries to teachers with degrees in education, while other schools made teacher training a condition of employment.

The landmark report A Nation at Risk, issued by the U.S. Department of Education in 1983, began an era of education reform in the United States. The report called for the development of rigorous national standards of teacher preparation. It also acknowledged that teaching had become increasingly demanding in the United States, due in part to more diverse student populations and more complex educational technologies that require additional training.

The 1996 report of the Department of Education’s National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future presented a clear program for change in teacher education. This report cited several barriers to improving teaching in the United States, such as inadequate teacher education programs; poor teacher recruitment efforts, particularly in such subjects as mathematics and science; poor administrative practices that typically saddle new teachers with the most challenging and demanding tasks; and lack of rewards for teachers who demonstrate outstanding skills and performance. To overcome these problems, the commission challenged the nation to accomplish six goals by the year 2006:

(1) for all children to be taught by teachers who have the knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach children well;
(2) for all teacher education programs to meet national professional standards, or else be closed;
(3) for all teachers to have access to high-quality professional development;
(4) for teachers and principals to be hired and retained based on their ability to meet professional standards of practice;
(5) for teachers’ salaries to be based on their knowledge and skills; and
(6) for high-quality teaching to be the central investment of schools, with most education funding directed toward classroom instruction.

To achieve these goals, the commission made specific recommendations. For example, it recommended that funding be made available to expand the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Founded in the late 1980s, the NBPTS specifies levels of competency and expertise for teachers. Experienced teachers can become certified by the NBPTS only after passing a screening based on both their knowledge of academic subjects and their performance with children. This certification has afforded teachers recognition as professionals and, in many cases, has enabled them to command higher salaries. It also has helped to establish national standards for quality teaching.