“ The politics ” in teacher education policies

1. “The politics” in teacher education policies Florencia Mezzadra CIPPEC September 2006 T&T

2. Why is it important to think about educational policy ? • Decisiones about educational reforms in Latin America are defined in the ministries of education. • Valuable experiences developed in educational centers have small chances to have an impact in the system without a political decision to rescue them and take advantage of them.

3. Guide questions • What are the characteristics of the political and institutional context in my country, region, state/province? • How are educational policies and teacher education policies defined? • What actors participate and how? • How does this context affect teacher education policies? • What can we do to participate in educational policy?

4. The governments • Governments democratically elected but with a concentration of power • Educational policy and teacher education policies without political-partisan impact • Educational system perceived as a “burden” difficult to carry • Teachers perceived as a potential problem

5. The ministers • Many ministers without experiencie in the educational system: • Politicians with or without interest in the ES • Ministers of the “budget cuts” • Dependency of the minisiters of economy • Instability

6. The ministries • Administrators instability • Lack of professional careers with meritocracy. • Lack of relationship between information,research, planning, and evaluation • Hierarchical structures not functional to the system • Loss of the educational bond

7. Something optimistic: Current look at the situation in Argentina • Educational Finance Law • Academics • Civil society • National educational law project • Creation of the “Instituto Nacional de Formación Docente”

8. Decision of teacher education policies • Pedagogical decisions • Political decisions • Budget decisions

9. The actors: teacher unions • Great responsibility for the potential of having power • Open to dialogue • Include teacher professionalization as a priority in their agendas

10. Academics • Opening doors of the university • Talk to the politicians in their language. • Respect their know how. • Know how to identify opportunities to influence.

11. Administrators • They work in difficult political and institutional contexts • Have to mediate between the two cultures: “educational expert” and “political expert”. • Have the possibility to talk with the politician and “convince” him to support certain initiatives. • Don’t forget the schools, the teacher training institutes, teachers and students.

12. Teacher educators Importance of becoming a stake holder: • Professional associations • Teacher educators networks • Etc.

13. Conclusions • Importance of being involved in politics. • Opportunity of the Network • Look outside the educational system to find allies. • Foot note: press.