ABSTRACT
A Nation at Risk and America 2000 were sponsored by the US government, based on the work of various 'blue ribbon' panels of politicians, business people, and educators. Reform reports have also been issued from within the academy that follow their main precepts. In A Place Called School, based on a study of thirty-nine schools nationwide, John Goodlad (1984) described teaching as mediocre and intellectually bland in most classrooms, curricula as out of balance, and students as denied equal access to good teaching. His agenda for school improvement included a common, balanced curriculum taught to all students by teachers who are given the time and incentive to improve their teaching skills. He called upon the state to set the goals of its schools, and local schools to translate those goals into programs for their standards. Similarly, in Educational Renewal Goodlad's (1994) proposals call for more responsible, organized, and vigorous teacher education programs, ones in which teachers have the opportunity to acquire literacy and critical thinking skills, to see beyond a self-oriented perspective, and to gain insight into moral obligations of teaching. Additionally, Goodlad calls for improvement in teacher education with regard to regulatory practices, exposure to a variety of experiences, commitment to the field, and 'parity' with other professional programs.
