Our Forthcoming Book
Our book, which is slated for publication in the fall of 2009, will cover the following topics:
Chapter 1 – Problem in Case Study Form – The very worst; the very best.
Demonstrating the impact of science teachers’ dissatisfaction on student learning.
Chapter 2 – Teacher Turnover: what do we know? What do we need to know?
Attrition vs Production
(refs: Levy, Fields, Jablonski; Levine)
Chapter 3 – How teaching (in general) lost its professional status. What are the elements of “professional work life” that could be applied to science teaching?
- Control
- Autonomy
- Intellectual growth
- Input into educational policy at the local, state levels
- Support staff
- Personal growth on the job
- Upward mobility
- Research opportunities provided by universities or business
- Retirement security and other benefits continued over job change
Chapter 4 – Pay and Tenure (The Elephant in the Room)
- The role of teacher unions
Chapter 5 – Critical Analysis of Recent Efforts to Improve Education: What Effect Do They Actually Have on Enhancing Science Teachers’ Professional Status?
- National Board Certification
- Professional Learning Communities
- Private and Charter Schools
- No Child Left Behind
- The Impact of Teacher Unions and Their Activities
Chapter 6 –NCLB and its impact on teachers’ professional lives and status
Chapter 7 –Elsewhere: The Teaching Profession in other countries
Are there any models that we could import?
Chapter 8 - How to/Next Steps to Professionalizing the Science Teacher’s Work Life. Loci of change:
- What can the individual science teacher do?
- What can the school administrator (principal) do?
- What can school boards do?
- What can states do?
- What can teacher educators do?
- How can retirement and health benefits be made portable? (e.g. TIAA-CREF)
- What roles can parents and students play?
- Opening up policy making to teachers.