A Tentative Analysis Of The History, Measures And Experience Of American Teacher Union' Exerting Influences On Teacher Quality

As powerful entities in American education, Teacher Union exerts a great influence on teacher quality improvement. This thesis takes two biggest teacher unions in America, National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, as subjects to observe and study the history and measures of this two teacher unions' exerting influence on American teacher quality. Firstly, the author systematically analyzes the three stages of teacher union' development and their concern over teacher quality at each stage according to the changes in the nature of National Education Association. Secondly, the measures taken by teacher union to improve the teacher quality are mainly explored: Participating in the certification of teacher education organization by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and state governments; Launching various induction programmes for new teachers; Providing in-service teacher training for vocational development; Joining in the certification of excellent teachers by National Professional Teaching Standards Committee; Promoting education legislation about teacher quality; Formulating teachers' professional ethics; Endeavoring to economically better the treatment of teachers and improve their working conditions. Next, on the basis of the analysis above, the author concludes the experience about how American teacher union improves teacher quality: Promoting the integration of the pre-service, induction and in-service training or education of teachers; Paying attentions to the establishment and implementation of teacher quality standard; Attaching importance to carrying out the education programmes; Concerning about the factors, both exterior and interior that affect teacher quality; Placing emphasis on education researches to make the decision related to the teacher quality more scientific; Cooperating with other organizations to improve teacher quality with more effects and combining professional and non-professional measures. Finally, this thesis expounds the inspiration in improving the teacher quality which American teacher union brings to the establishment of the teacher quality security system in our country. Hopefully this study can provide a reference for the establishment and perfection of the security system of teacher quality in present China.