A 100 Week 5

1. A 100 Week 5

2. New Topic: Education as a profession?

3. What are the characteristics of a profession? • sfdas

4. Different views of professionalism • The social closure view • Licensing/barriers to entry • Extended training (distinctive knowledge base) • Collective power to control work • Public trust • The discretion view • Not carefully overseen • Requires discretion; not deskilled • The collective standards view • Collectively define standards of good practice

5. Is education a profession? Yes • There is some form of licensing • Specific body of knowledge No • Social closure weak/barriers to entry low • No graduate school • No necessary minimum • Private schools no minimums • Broad disparities in quality of the profession • Tenure protections – can’t be fired for failing as a professional Education are like other indeterminate fields Journalism and business

6. How K-12 teaching institutionalized: A Comparison to Higher Education • K-12 • Institutionalized as administrator-dominated bureaucracy (progressive era) • Male administrators; female teachers • High level of discretion (close your door power) • Low level of collective power for teachers

7. How K-12 teaching institutionalized: A Comparison to Higher Education • K-12 • Unionization • Needed in part b/c of weak “semi-professionalization” • Followed industrial union model • Calcified idea that teachers not collectively responsible for educational decisions • Two parts of being a professional, both under assault: • Always suspicion of knowledge base • Unionization undermines “moral power”/public trust

8. How K-12 teaching institutionalized: A Comparison to Higher Education • Higher Education • Institutionalized as faculty-run (progressive era) • Faculty decide what counts as legitimate scholarship • Departmental structure • Peer review/distinctive knowledge base • Ph.D. – social closure • High level of discretion (close your door power) • Also high level of collective power • Faculty decide who is hired • Faculty decide who gets tenure • Recently under assault, but underlying structure protects

9. Is Teach for America deprofessionalizing teaching? • Asf • adsf

10. Is Teach for America deprofessionalizing teaching? Yes • If anyone can teach, not a profession No • Higher internal standards of practice – ironically more similar to how real professions function

11. Three Options for Professionalizing Teaching 1. Follow law and medicine (and Singapore): • Longer training • Tighter standards of entry 2. Increase collective standards, but not social closure • Instructional rounds • Peer assistance and review • Training on site rather than in classroom 3. Weaken unions, improve results all else will follow • No a priori decisions on professions, guide by results • Not yet a profession, improved results key to become one

12. Which of these views is preferable? Follow law and medicine (and Singapore): Increase collective standards, but not social closure Weaken unions, improve results all else will follow:

13. How could we attract more of the top third to teaching? Some estimates from McKinsey 2010: • Currently, 23% total top third, 14% in HP schools • (Contrast to 100% top third in Finland, Singapore, Korea How could we attract more top third in U.S.? (Two scenarios)

14. How could we attract more of the top third to teaching? Scenario 1: Working conditions, no across board pay • Initial training: paid for • Effective leadership in high needs schools • District improve unsafe/shabby working conditions • Performance bonuses 20 percent • Marketing campaign • Total increase: From 14% top third to 34% top third • Total cost: Large district $10 – 30 million, average state $66 million (.5% of total spending)

15. How could we attract more of the top third to teaching? Scenario 2: Increase pay • $65,000 starting teachers • Max compensation $150,000 • Total increase: From 14% top third to 68% top third • Total cost: Average state $630 million (5% of total spending)

16. New Topic: Bob Schwartz on Finland (with a bonus discussion of common core standards)