The American Federal of Teachers' president, Albert Ahanker, advocates forming a board of leading educators to develop a national qualifying examination of those newly entering the teaching profesion. The test would cover subject matter knowledge and instructional potential. Public pressure would ensure that states and districts adopted the…

Discusses education reforms currently taking place, including changed education practices and new methods of assessing teacher competence; describes the occupation of teaching as it currently exists--low pay, low status, poor conditions, and unprofessional treatment; and suggests educational reform momentum depends upon an informed, knowledgeable,…

The current movement for educational reform follows earlier realizations that the nation's industry and infrastructures have been neglected. President Reagan has responded inadequately to the crisis in education, and Americans will not accept Reagan administration initiatives that do not continue and expand existing successful programs, such as…

The development of critical thinking skills in students is seen in this presentation as a significant and worthy objective of education, though the realization of this objective will be dependent upon many important factors. Among the factors cited here are, first, that recent major reform efforts have created no barriers to including critical…

Argues that teaching must become a profession--entailing both expertise and relative autonomy--if public schools are to improve. Outlines elements of professionalism and proposes means to professionalize teaching. (MCG)