ABSTRACT
Critiques of the quality of America’s teachers are nothing new (Labaree, 2008; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983). Such critiques have returned to the spotlight in recent years as states attempt to develop measures of teacher effectiveness tied to merit pay systems and other types of incentives and consequences (Berliner & Glass, 2014; Koedell & Betts, 2011). At the same time, college and university programs that engage in the preparation of teachers have come under similar scrutiny from legislators, the media, and groups such as the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), all advocating for reforms and increased accountability for the performance of a program’s teacher-graduates (Cochran-Smith, Piazza, & Power, 2013; Fuller, 2014). Less attention has been paid, however, to the preparation of the teacher educators who staff these college, university, and alternative teacher preparation programs. To respond effectively to the critiques, it is important to understand what specific kinds of preparation and practice these individuals have had for doing teacher education as part of their own professional preparation.
