ESU touted as a model for teacher programs

Dr. Arthur Levine firmly believes that a quality education begins with a quality teacher in every classroom. Levine enthusiastically believes that Emporia State University is the epitome of teacher education and plays a vital role in preparing teachers for the state of Kansas and the nation.

"ESU is the Camelot for teacher education," Levine said. "Educators in Kansas and the nation used positive adjectives to describe teachers coming out of ESU."

Levine sees ESU as a university that plays to its strengths in teacher education. "ESU values teacher education," he said. "ESU's teacher education program is very impressive."

Levine, president of Teachers College and professor of education at Columbia University in New York, visited the ESU campus, May 23, 2005, to experience first-hand its quality teacher education program.

"At many universities, there tends to be a rift between academics and experience. Faculty are more likely to research teaching instead of teach. ESU has bridged the gap."

"That is what makes this one exemplary," he said. "That gap doesn't exist."

Levine is writing a series of four reports on America's education schools. His first report, already published, focused on the education of school administrators. Currently, he is working on the second report on university-based teacher preparation programs. A third report will focus on research institutions and the fourth will be a book on American education.

Levine cites ESU as one of four schools in the nation that should be models for educating teachers.

"Dr. Levine indicated to us that he wanted to come to ESU to "see for himself" whether or not the positive comments he received from the team of researchers who spent several days on our campus about a year and a half ago were true," said Dr. Tes Mehring, dean of The Teachers College. "I think he agreed with the description used by the research team - ESU is the Camelot of teacher education!"

A team of 28 educators and journalists initially visited 28 schools. ESU was selected as a model, along with Stanford University, the University of Virginia and Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisc.

"We are ecstatic that teacher preparation at ESU will be cited as one of four model programs in the United States . ESU faculty and the districts who hire our teachers continually comment about the quality of the candidates we prepare," Mehring said. "It's terrific to be recognized at the national level for the quality of our programs in elementary and secondary education."

The study looks for balance of theory of practice, high admissions and graduation standards, adequate funding, high-quality graduates, self-assessed programs, sensible degrees and quality of research. "The state already has three major research institutions. You have KU, you have K-State, you have Wichita," Levine said. "The state doesn't need a fourth."

"What this state desperately needs, and our entire country needs, is an institution dedicated to preparing teachers of the highest quality," he said. "ESU is that institution."

Last Updated July 2, 2007>