Statement By Commissioner Of Education Earl McGrath

STATEMENT * Teachers of today's children across the Nation are better prepared professionally for their educational responsibilities than were the teachers of today's parents and grandparents when they went to school, according to this Nationwidersurvey, It is encouraging to see the trend toward the establishment of higher teacher education requirements by many States during the past ten years, and the planining by State departments of education that will mean even higher teacher-accreditatior standards in the future. We must face the facts, however. There is still wide variation more from State to State in teacher certification standards. Further/the continuing use of emergency certificates shows that the accepted Standards are not being universally observed. Findings of this survey should be useful to State departments of education and to institutions of higher education in their efforts to improve State and institutional teacher-certification requirements and standards. The Office of Education will continue its cooperation with the State departments of education, colleges and universities, and a national committee of State directors of teacher education certification working toward this end. *By Earl J. McGrath, U. S. Commissioner of Education, Federal Security Agency, Washington, D. C. to the New York Times, August 7, 1951.