Dive Brief:
- The founding president of two recently merged teacher college accreditors was ousted this month following a "crisis of confidence" vote by the board of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
- Inside Higher Ed reports James Cibulka’s ouster came over strong objections by the staff of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which is being run on an interim basis by former Illinois State Board of Education Superintendent Christopher Koch.
- The accreditor has made its mission raising the standards of teacher preparation programs, causing tensions with unions and teacher colleges over the past three years, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
The board of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation programs announced Koch would take over as president earlier this month, mentioning Cibulka only to say he was CAEP’s founding president.
Teacher colleges have faced significant criticism in recent years as the nation focuses more intensely on improving K-12 education through educator accountability. CAEP’s heightened standards include raising admissions requirements for future teachers and obliging colleges to track their graduates and prove they are effective in the field.