© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Preparing teachers for the classrooms

WBFO News file photo

There's a great struggle underway in education about teachers, questioning the way they are trained to be placed in front of a classroom of kids.

It's a routine event at school boards to complain that the teachers just aren't doing their jobs and that kids aren't learning because the teachers just aren't good enough.

Buffalo State College Dean of Education Wendy Paterson said it's not nearly that simple, pointing out the best single predictor of how well kids will do is the education of their parents.

Across the country, there is a push on to change the way teachers are trained, from who goes into the talent pool to become a teacher to how many hours student teachers spend in a classroom in front of younger students.

Paterson said New York State does better than most.

"To be an effective teacher, you have to be well-trained.  That's the part that we are dedicated to here in the colleges. You also have to have had experiences with excellent teachers. There's a craftsmanship to it.  You have to have been a journeyman for a while.  You have to have been in schools with teachers who do things right," said Paterson.  

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.