Chapter 11: Improving Teacher Quality

Over the past decade, researchers as well as national and state policy makers, have been concerned with reforming early childhood teacher preparation programs towards inquiry-based instructional approaches. During this decade, the demands for increased teacher learning have been emphasized, most likely as a result of pressures from forces such as the standards movement. Education reformers have suggested there should be higher standards for teachers and students. They believe that teachers need new knowledge about curriculum, methods of teaching and assessment in order to achieve these standards. As a result, there has been a call for increased professional development to improve and to modify teaching practices (Wilson & Berne, 1999). Unfortunately, the American community has not been willing to pay for what it takes to improve the quality of teachers for both public and nonpublic early childhood education programs. The community seems to prefer hiring lower paid teachers rather than pay for higher quality ones.