In Partnership: Classroom Teachers and University Professors Working Together to Prepare Future Teachers.

“This learning opportunity translates into better prepared teachers and validates quality teaching techniques.” —Judith Hunsberger, Director, Clearview Elementary School Charter Teacher education in California is currently under attack. Politicians and the general public have lost confidence in the entire educational system. While some critics argue that too many credential courses are required, the majority seem to criticize Colleges of Education for simply failing to produce quality teachers. Interestingly, in California the system of higher education and its corresponding departments of teacher prepara-tion are as diverse as the students they serve. For example, within the 23 California State University (CSU) campuses, programs vary tremendously from the traditional, university-based model to the site-based, school-university partnership model. Within the range of programs offered at the various universities in California, even the number of courses required to complete credential requirements varies tremendously. Yet, when evalu-ating teacher preparation in California (cf. California State University Systemwide Study, 2001), the critics often fail to disaggregate their data, falling victim to a common mistake of lumping the effective with the not so effective. The problem with this approach is that it misrepresents the reality of diverse programs, it leads to inaccurate or insufficient conclu-sions and, ultimately, it may impede progress. But perhaps what is most disappointing is the fact that some very promising approaches to teacher preparation go unrecognized in such a climate.