Seeing the Bigger Picture: Troubling Movements to End Teacher Education

Abstract

Movements to end teacher education by framing it as irrelevant have deep historical roots and, in recent years, have become quite commonsensical, so much so that even teacher educators struggle to reframe the debate and to make the case for their role in improving public education. This article examines three ways that social movements have worked to stratify public education over the past century, with each movement experiencing an ideological shift in response to the civil rights movements of the mid-1900s. The case of Chicago is presented as a starting point. Three theoretical lenses help to differentiate what are really overlapping movements—namely, neoliberalism, Christian fundamentalism, and neoconservatism—that make attacks on public education and teacher education seem like “common sense.” Implications for reframing teacher education conclude the article.