The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced today that Idaho and 24 other states have committed to advancing recommendations to dramatically transform educator preparation and entry into the profession.
The new CCSSO report, “Our Responsibility, Our Promise: Transforming Educator Preparation and Entry into the Profession,” was developed by state school chiefs working together to identify key areas they can change to ensure every teacher and principal are ready to prepare our students for college and careers the day they enter the education profession.
As President of CCSSO, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna chaired the state-led task force that prepared the report.
“This is all about improving the craft of teaching. For those who choose teaching as their life’s work and passion, it is incumbent on us to provide the support and opportunities they need to be prepared as soon as they enter the classroom. This all begins with our teacher preparation programs,” Superintendent Luna said. “We recognize that higher expectations for students mean higher expectations for our teachers and principals, so we must do more in our states to ensure the development of effective educators.”
CCSSO unveiled the recommendations on Monday with a panel discussion among Superintendent Luna, Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass, and CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. The announcement began with a moment of silence for the victims of the tragic school shooting in Connecticut last week.
The report recommends states focus on licensure, program approval, and data collection, analysis and reporting to improve the way we prepare our educator workforce.
The Task Force is composed of current and former school chiefs with input from the National Governor’s Association and The National Association of State Boards of Education. An expert Advisory Group representing educator preparation, non-traditional programs, teacher unions and other organizations involved in the preparation of teachers and principals provided input on the Task Force’s recommendations.
Superintendent Luna will bring these recommendations to the Idaho State Board of Education for review and approval. The State Board of Education and the deans of the Colleges of Education in Idaho received copies of the preliminary report.
The following are statements of support the Idaho State Department of Education has received for advancing the recommendations in the Our Responsibility, Our Promise report in Idaho:
Dr. Cori Mantle-Bromley, Dean of the University of Idaho College of Education: “The University of Idaho’s College of Education fully supports the Task Force Report and its recommendations. We believe that our program direction aligns with the recommendations and can only be strengthened with increased availability of state data and with rigorous standards for all educator preparation programs. We are eager to participate in the implementation of recommendations.”
Marty Schimpf, Provost of Boise State University: “Boise State fully embraces the principles of the CCSSO Task Force Report, which are to produce teachers who have deep content knowledge and how to teach it and principals with the skills required to lead transformation in their schools. Our new IDoTeach program for preparing the next generation of secondary education math and science teachers is only a first step in renewed efforts at Boise State to reform programs for teacher preparation, and to develop new programs in educational leadership.”
Diane Boothe, President of the Idaho Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IAACTE): “On behalf of the Idaho public/private deans and directors, we enthusiastically endorse the CCSSO initiatives and recommendations, and look forward to actively participating and facilitating improved teacher preparation in Idaho.”
Learn more about this state-led effort, including a complete list of the members of the Task Force and quotes of support from outside organizations.
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