Dispositions

John Leo wrote in USNews.com The cultural left has a new tool for enforcing political conformity in schools of education. It is called dispositions theory, and it was set forth five years ago by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education: Future teachers should be judged by their "knowledge, skills, and dispositions." What are "dispositions"? NCATE's prose made clear that they are the beliefs and attitudes that guide a teacher toward a moral stance.

And whose version of morality?

That sounds harmless enough, but it opened a door to reject teaching candidates on the basis of thoughts and beliefs. In 2002, NCATE said that an education school may require a commitment to social justice. William Damon, a professor of education at Stanford, wrote last month that education schools "have been given unbounded power over what candidates may think and do, what they may believe and value."

If you don't think what the Left wants you to think, you are out. As a teacher your job is to brainwash children so they will vote Democratic when they grow up.

NCATE vehemently denies that it is imposing groupthink, but the ed schools, essentially a liberal monoculture, use dispositions theory to require support for diversity and a culturally left agenda, including opposition to what the schools sometimes call "institutional racism, classism, and heterosexism."

The Anchoress blogged As you enter training to become a teacher, you are allowed to have personal opinions. As long as they conform.

Another battle over dispositions theory has been unfolding at Washington State University’s college of education. The college threatened to terminate a student, Edward Swan, 42, for failing four “professional disposition evaluations.” Swan, a religious man of working-class background, has expressed conservative opinions in class. He opposes affirmative action and doesn’t believe gays should adopt children. His grades are good, and even his critics say he is highly intelligent. One teacher gave Swan a failing PDE after spotting the statement “diversity is perversity” in Swan’s copy of a textbook.

At the start of the current semester, Swan was offered a choice: Sign a contract with the college or be expelled. The contract included mandatory diversity training, completing various projects at the faculty’s direction, and the possibility of above-normal scrutiny during Swan’s student teaching this fall.

This is reality. I have a pal who returned to school to become a teacher and she didn’t open her mouth the whole time she was in school, or for the three years it took her to get tenure, because to express a thought contrary to the party was to write your own “F” or your own denial of tenure. She’s tenured, now, but still keeps her mouth shut, because she doesn’t want trouble.

That’s a hell of a way to live and work, isn’t it?

Betsy blogged You know, there used to be a time of moral relativism when teachers were supposed to not take a stand that any sort of morality was better or worse than another. Just the facts. So, don't condemn the Nazis or communists; just present the information and let kids discuss it but never condemn another culture or group.

Now, we seem to have gone beyond moral relativism to a new period of required ideological purity tests. Not only must you not condemn another way of life in a classroom, but you aren't even allowed to have your own personal opinions. The only solution seems to be the disinfectant of publicity to fight off the penalties that some schools want to impose on students who think the wrong way. This is scary stuff.

Interested-Participant blogged In a thinly veiled program to blatantly discriminate against future teachers based upon their personal conservatism, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) specifies that prospective teachers should be judged by their "knowledge, skills, and dispositions." Although seeming harmless, the dispositions sought in evaluating future teachers are strong prerequisite beliefs in social liberalism. Those that believe otherwise are denied admission or, if already enrolled, academic advancement..... My reaction to the issue is a total lack of surprise. I've seen it during my own experience in college. There is more than sufficient empirical evidence attesting to the fact that academia is infested with mind-numbed leftists and it sure did not get that way by allowing dissent in the classroom. Academia needs the bright light of truth directed upon it.

Toni blogged Unfortunately when I read this article by John Leo I wasn't surprised. This is just typical of those in upper hierarchy of the teaching profession. Goes in league with teachers unions which overwhelmingly donate significant percentages of member dues to Democrat candidates.

Vista blogged One of NCATE's stated purposes "is the [teaching] profession’s mechanism to help establish high quality teacher preparation." But by whos definition of quality and whos standards? From reading the above article it seems they are more likely to accredit only left leaning standards. It appears that NCATE also influences School Library Media Education Programs.