Remarks prepared for the Ohio Teacher Education and Certification Advisory Commission on the subject of "Teacher Image".

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REMARKS PREPARED
FOR THE
ClIIO TEACHER EDUCATI<N AND CERI'IFICATIOO ADVISORY C(M.USSICN
CN THE SUBJEcr OF "TEACHER IMAGE"

BY
RONAID E. MAREC, PRESIDENT
OHIO FEDERATICN OF TEACHERS
AFI', AFL-CIO

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1983
Befo:re painting too sauber a picture of the state of the teaching profession today, we should look at matters in a historical perspective. Fifty years ago nearly 55 percent of the teaching force did not have the equivalent of two years of training beyond high school. Today nearly half (49.3%) of the teachers in elementary and secondary schools have a master's degree or beyond. Starting with the "nonnal school" aver the years teacher p:reparation has evolved into a four year curriculum with a general or liberal arts education in addition to professional training. While in canparison to the legal and medical professions, education's devel.opnent has lagged behind; nevertheless, progress was made. (It should be recalled that one hundred years ago anyone who could read and write could claim legal expertise on the AIrerican frontier and the state of the madical arts could be surrmed up in the notto, "When in doubt, cut it off!")
Nonetheless, today the status and image of teachers both within their CMI'l ranks and in the eyes of much of the public is in a critical state. In a recent survey, more than one-third of .America's ··teachers stated that they either certainly or probably would not becare a teacher is they had a chanCe to do it over again. Twenty years ago only eleven percent reported they would certainly or probably not choose teaching again. Furthenrore, in 1982, only 5 percent of all college-bound high school seniors said they planned to pursue a major in education. Consequently, while the news nedia has recently highlighted the. shortage of math and science teachers, the United States faces in the ca:ning years a shortage in most teaching fields. Additionally, recent studies indicate that the majority of students nON enrolling in teacher education are in the bottom third of their graduating
.high school class. (An excellent and readable report on the current status of the nation's teachers is C. Emily Ferstritzer's The .American Teacher, Washtngton, D.C.: Ferstritzer Publications, 1983.) •
From the standpoint of the 1Imerioan public, the 1982 Gallup Poll revealed only 8 percent of the general public gave public schools an A rating (down fran 18% in 1974), 29% a B rating, and 33% a C, hCMever, only 5% gave them an F. The major problems that the public sees in our public schools are, in their rank order, "lack of discipline," "lack of proper financial support," "use of drugs" and "poor curriculum".
Fran the viewpoint of teachers, the reasons why ed,ucation is not an attractive occupation
are:

(1)
Public attitudes tcMard public schools. With only 30% of the families in the nation having school-age children, derogator.y attitudes are often the result hearsay. Studies indicate the greater the contact with the public schools, the more favorable the i.rrg;>ression of the educational system.

(2)
The treatment of education by the media which is usually unfavorable.

(3)
I.J:::M salaries paid teachers. In 1980-81, the average beginning teacher's salary was estimated at $11,758 compared to $20,136 for college graduates with a degree in engineering; $15,720 for beginning accountants; $14,100 in business; $14,472 in economics; $15,936 in sales marketing; and $17,712 in ccmputer services.


The disparity over tine increases between teachers and those in other pro•fessional and technical occupations. For example, a beginning accountant in 1981 earned an average of $16,529, but a grade 5 accountant demanded a salary of $35,141. An engineer who began at $21,000 could at grade 8 earn alnost $57, 000. No a:mpa.rab1e advancement salary scale exists for teachers.
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(4) U::M status of teachers in the ccmnunity.
To address many of the factors cited above, the Chio Federation of Teachers would recarm:md , . the foll.cMing:
I. The Establishment of Teacher Corrpetency Entrance Level Examinations
We believe that a bias free examination to qualify candidates for the teaching pro•
fession as part of a full teacher education 'degree program which tests the level of
literacy, knCM'ledge of subject matter, and pedagogy will enhance the image of teachers
in their CMl1 eyes but also upeJrade the profession in the eyes of the general public.
Such a test will not necessarily shCM' who is a "good" teacher, but it will indicate
who has the necessary basic skills and knCMledge.
It must also be stated that the OET opposes the use of examinations'for decisions related to retention, prarotion; recertification, salary, or tenure. Retesting is not required of lawyers, doctors, real estate agents and other professionals. In equity, it should not be required of teachers. We would also oppose canpetency tests that are solely or largely ooncerned with nethodology.
Teacher canpetency exams are only one elenent of what is needed to raise the status of teachers and education in our society. Other elements must also be put in place.
II. The Establishment of High Standards for Admission to Colleges of Education
The OET well understands that colleges facing declining enrollrrents and program cut•backs seek "bodies" to fill their classroans. The temptation is there to make lax admission policies in teacher education even more lenient in light of "eoonomic necessity." However, to upgrade American public education, the AFT supports the developoont and enforcenent of standards for entrance into teacher preparation. The process of separating the wheat fran the chaff should begin at the entrance doors to our oolleges of education. It should be noted that in establishing admissions stand•ards the AFT is opposed to any proposal necessitating quotas.
III. Inproved Content and Instruction in Colleges of Education
It is no secret that oolleges of education are held in lCM' esteem by other segments of the university canmunity and by large numbers of graduates fran oolleges of edu•cation. "Educators" have for sare time suggested that a fifth or sixth year be added to teacher preparation. HCM'ever, before OET oould support such a oourse of action, oolleges of education will have to deIoonstrate that they truly have sanething to offer the prospective teacher. Besides, it is unlikely that many students would put this additional invesbnent into their'education·without much higher eoonanic rewards-than teaching currently offers.
It should not be concluded that AFT and OFI' oppose increased demands on education students in tenns of greater knCM'ledge of subject matter and practical experiences via student teaching, microteaching, simulations and roodeling. But simply adding m:>re of the Sam3 in terms of education courses is not conducive to upgrading the profession. We would offer as a IIOre practical and realistic means of resolving the titre issue, the establishIrent of internship programs in our public school systems. The Toledo Board of Education and the Toledo Federation of Teachers have cooperatively developed such a program, and it is worthy of study by others.
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The state of Oklahana has taken the greatest strides in this area. The Oklahana
state legislature in 1980 made sweeping changes in its teacher education program
which include (a) increasing the standards of admission into colleges of education;
(b) nore clinical field work in the preparation process; (c) Competency examinations in subject areas before graduating; (d) an entry year internship before certifica•tion; (e) the IOOnitoring of first-year teachers by a team representative' of the pro•fession, and (f) provisions for continuing education for teachers and teacher educators.
IV. Inpmved Teacher Inservice and Professional DeveloprrEIlt' for the practicing Teacher
The OFT does not endorse the current maudlin practices that are often passed off as teacher inservice in many of our school systans. But, we do feel that if teacher organizations had a greater role in the establishment and direction of inservice training, intellectually stimulating programs could be developed that would fill in gaps in subjectrnatter, improve instructional management, introduce technological advances, and bring out the application of sound research.
v. The Need for Teachers' to Reach out to the COrrmunity-At-Large
The "image" problems of teachers today are, as stated before, due in large part to public perceptions and the reporting of the news media. With fewer families having school-age children, it is necessary for teachers to reach out to the comnunity-at•large to change those p~ceptions.
The AFT has long recognized that need and is one of the factors which determined our affiliation with Organized Labor.
Havever, teachers and other school personnel must seek larger and newer coalitions. AFT President Shanker has for the last few years pushed for a greater dialogue with the business community. Many leaders of business do realize that for their own self•interest and that of the nation, public education needs to be irrq;>roved. Important figures in the business caumunity recognize that irrq;>rovement will necessitate massive infusions of rroney into education. They, of course, will have demands attached to their support of education. President Shanker has asked our unions not to reject' nor accept at face value the suggestions put forward, but rather to seize the oppor•tunity to negotiate change.
Additionally, there are a variety of ways 'local teacher organizations can reach out to the public. The Youngstown Federation of Teachers' "Dial-A~Teacher Program" and "Project Reach OUt" for children of the unerrployed are two examples. The fonner has been successfully used by teacher unions in other parts of the country. The latter is a pilot program that has had only lirnited success but is an effort wOrth trying.
It should be noted that programs such as these in YoungstCMn or the Toledo Intern Program must have their origin and source of support in the teachers of the school system. They cannot be arbitrarily irrq;>osed from above by management and be successful.
Finally, teacher organizations can, with what resources they can muster, seek to use the media to change public perceptions of our education system. The four public ser•vice announcements for TV prepared by AFT and shCMn around the country are examples of what can be done with limited resources.

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