The Discourse of Reform in Teacher Education: Extending the Dialogue

Abstract

In response to Fenstermacher’s and Furlong’s commentaries, Cochran-Smith and Fries suggest three additional points to extend the dialogue about the reform of teacher education. They discuss the potential value of debates that marshal evidence for a particular policy position, the importance of open discussion about the ideologies that underlie different positions, and necessary cautions about the increasing role of the federal government in educational policy and practice.