What’s Past is Prologue: Sage Reflections on Teacher Education and Special Education
By Cynthia C. Griffin, Melinda Leko and Tracy G. Ulrich
In this Special Issue, we proudly showcase five papers that reflect on the past and look toward the future across a number of critical issues in teacher education and special education. We invited “Sages” (i.e., well-respected, senior-level members) from the Teacher Education Division (TED) community to author papers that include historical perspectives and future considerations pertaining to a topic. The topics we identified certainly do not represent an exhaustive account of the myriad of pressing issues, trends, and unanswered questions facing the field, as there are too many to include in one special issue; rather our aim was to put forth a collection of papers that, when taken together, represent broad fields of study that have been, and continue to be, critical to advancing the scholarship in teacher education and special education, and most importantly, improving outcomes for students with disabilities and their families. In particular, these topics have remained fundamental to scholarly and practical pursuits within teacher education and special education across time and despite shifting social, political, and economic contexts.
Given the Office of Special Education (OSEP’s) vision for Results-Driven Accountability and shift from compliance to improving results for all students with disabilities, as well as the recent U.S. Supreme Court unanimous decision in Endrew F. vs. Douglas County School District, special education must do more to ensure that students with disabilities achieve beyond minimum expectations and meet challenging and worthwhile objectives. Important work has begun and holds promise for addressing these goals such as: multi-tiered systems of support, high-leverage and evidence-based practices, and efforts to improve both general and special education teacher knowledge and skills. Yet, declining enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs, rising teacher attrition and PK-12 student enrollment, and an aging teacher workforce have contributed to the widely reported teacher shortages across the United States. We also acknowledge the critical need to address the lack of diversity within the predominantly White, middle class, female, cisgender, monolingual, able-bodied teacher workforce.
Relatedly, continued research is needed on addressing inequitable outcomes in terms of teacher quality and student achievement in “hard-to-staff” schools that are often under-resourced, located in urban or rural areas, and serve large numbers of students from marginalized groups. Closely related to these issues is the role of continuing education for professional teachers. Because the scientific basis for teacher professional development (PD) is limited, a critical need exists for further research in this area.
We extend our deepest thanks to the Sages and their colleagues for tackling such complex issues confronting our field. The five papers honor the field’s history, while simultaneously pointing to ways we can—and must— improve. The authors’ excitement is palpable. We hope their contemplations on “pasts” and “prologues” inspire future discourse, innovation, research, practice, policy, and advocacy by all who are committed to Teacher Education and Special Education. The time is now!
Article details
What’s Past Is Prologue: Sage Reflections on Teacher Education and Special Education
Cynthia C. Griffin, Melinda Leko and Tracy G. Ulrich
First published: January 22, 2020 Editorial
DOI: 10.1177/0888406419900689
From Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
About the Authors
Cynthia C. Griffin received her PhD in special education from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. She is a Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her research interests focus on students with specific learning disabilities and other struggling learners, mathematics instruction, and online teacher professional development. She is a Co-Editor of the SAGE journal, Teacher Education and Special Education.
Melinda Leko earned her PhD in special education from the University of Florida, Gainesville. She is a Professor and current Chair in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her areas of research focus on inclusive and equitable educational experiences for learners with disabilities, educators’ implementation of evidence-based practices, and literacy instruction for students with disabilities. She is a Co-Editor of Teacher Education and Special Education.
Tracy G. Ulrich received her PhD in special education from the University of Florida, Gainesville. She is Adjunct Faculty in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her research interests address young children at risk for mathematics learning disabilities, teacher preparation, and teacher professional development. She is the Editorial Assistant for Teacher Education and Special Education.