At the Expense of University Teacher Preparation: Vertical Integration and the Creative Destruction of Teacher Education in Utah

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Innovative Pedagogies and Possibilities in Teacher Education (Table 25)

Abstract

The purpose of this proposal is to put forth a political economy analysis of teacher education reform in the State of Utah. To conduct this analysis, public discourse from governmental and non-governmental web sites and documents related to teacher recruitment and teacher education in the State of Utah was examined. This analysis revealed an effort to establish vertical integration of the state’s teacher recruitment and development pipeline: high school and concurrent enrollment courses shift teacher education coursework to secondary schools, while teacher performance assessment requirements lead to increased coursework and attention to the assessment’s conception of teaching. Consequently, the State of Utah is contributing to the creative destruction of university teacher preparation in Utah. Implications of this destruction are discussed.

Author

• William J. Davis, Southern Utah University