By JOHN RICHARD SCHROCK
Bad doctors? Bad teachers? Bad Police?
It is unfortunate that from time to time, some medical doctors have their license to practice pulled for malpractice. We know that there are some bad teachers in the classroom. And we also should know by now that there are some officers who do not belong in a police force.
These professions have a system for training future professionals. They also should have provisions for eliminating individuals who do not have the ability to perform professionally or effectively.
As a long time teacher-trainer, I am proud of those who successfully completed their training and are good teachers in their schools today. But there were students who aspired to be teachers who never made it through the program—and that was also good.
At a university, we have an advantage of having nearly four years to evaluate a teaching candidate. I got to meet with my teaching candidates from their freshman year onward. One new student was so very excited about biology, from their experiences on the farm. Such a background can make for a very enthusiastic teacher in the classroom. But this student was also about the most shy person I had ever met. And shyness is a personality trait that is nearly impossible to change. I made early extra assignments for the student to observe high school classes. We then had discussions about whether this student could handle the occasional paper wads thrown when your back is turned, etc. This candidate realized that they would be “eaten alive” the first day in the classroom. An in-charge personality and a “teacher’s voice” were not in their skill set. The student switched to another field of biology and completed a degree.
Other cases were not voluntary. Faculty colleagues kept an eye out for whether they would want their own child in a class taught by the teacher candidates in their classes. They would occasionally alert me to serious concerns: honesty, work ethic, sexual harassment, lack of enthusiasm for biology, etc.
This is where I would have serious discussions with the student. If they could not change and problems did not get addressed, the department could and would reject their application for student teaching. In a few cases, especially when a student transferred to us in their last year and we had no substantial information, I would place them with a student teaching supervisor who had high standards and was willing to fail a student teacher if they were not professional. —Not showing up on time. —Failing to grade and return papers in a timely manner, etc. —Dishonesty. —Working the system. One perpetrator of sexual harassment was immediately dis-enrolled.
Due process must always be available.
Nearly all bad doctors and bad teachers could be culled in the multi-year face-to-face preparation of those professionals. But it relies on extensive personal contact with the candidates. It will not work with “virtual” online programs where faculty have no direct interpersonal contact. Professionals should never be trained online. Police academy is shorter. Therefore, ongoing high standards of practice within all professions must be maintained in the field as well. In many states, a teacher’s license or certificate is only pulled when triggered by a criminal offense. We must do better.
Unfortunately, accrediting agencies such as CAEP (formerly NCATE) long disregarded any need for gatekeeping; they only wanted reports on successful candidates. If they heard of students who did not complete the program, they would question a department for “why didn’t these students succeed?” as if every person can be a good teacher.
When a teacher is fired, there is usually a long history of bad teaching that came before. When a doctor’s license is pulled for malpractice, there are usually plenty of prior cases that were ignored. And when a bad cop is caught on video, there were usually a long list of prior bad acts. In nearly none of these cases will “re-education” solve their problem.
Simple measurements are no substitute. The best of teachers could have low-scoring students in an impoverished neighborhood. The best surgeon may have the lowest patient survival rate because they only take the most desperate cases.
To maintain respect for the profession, professions have a responsibility for “gatekeeping.”
. . .
John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.