Preparing Teachers for Educational Renewal Within Current Contexts of Accountability: Reflecting Upon John Goodlad’s Twenty Postulates

Abstract

Given changes to the ways teachers and, by association, the universities that prepare them are held accountable, the critical work of John Goodlad in educational renewal through teacher education has restored at least some capacity to reframe conversations about ways to better prepare teachers to serve diverse students in America’s schools. In this article, we examine how Goodlad’s vision, reified through his Twenty Postulates (a) might have helped to reshape teacher education over the past three decades, (b) has been (or might be) affected by current accountability policies, and (c) might be extended or expanded for the next generation of teachers and students. We argue that research is needed within which researchers examine ways to reaffirm teacher education as a top priority, better prepare teachers to serve as stewards of schools, empower teachers as change agents, and create spaces for faculty to engage in research with their school district partners.