Sponsors of Independent Teacher Preparation Programs: A Network Analysis

• In Event: 81.032 - MTCC Roundtable Session 37
  In Roundtable Session: 81.032-4 - Alternative Routes and Residencies: Networks, Third Spaces, and Mentors

Abstract

Teacher education in the U.S. universities has been routinely criticized as uneven in quality and must be improved. What makes today’s situation different is an aggressive effort by advocacy groups and self-proclaimed social entrepreneurs to deregulate the preparation of teachers and to expand independent, alternative routes into teaching. This study aims to identify the sponsors of this significant policy shift in U.S. teacher education and analyze the network of relations of these sponsors, such as philanthropists and entrepreneurs, who are actively reshaping the teacher preparation landscape. The results of this study showed the significance of examining the social networks and exchange of social capital between stakeholders involved in education policy making.

Authors

• Weijia Wang, University of Washington - Seattle

• Yiting Chu, University of Louisiana at Monroe