Beyond Alternative Teacher Education: Integrating Teaching, Community, Spirituality and Leadership

Publisher Marketing: In Beyond Alternative Teacher Education, John Watzke and his fellow contributors present a bold vision for teacher education that moves the dialogue into new realms of inquiry. Pairing teacher reflective narratives with scholarly chapters, the volume presents the case for programs of teacher formation based in the communal, social and spiritual dimensions of teaching and educational leadership. Beginning with historical tradition and program design, the book also speaks to the importance of the work of program graduates, their professional preparedness, and leadership development. Beyond Alternative Teacher Education will challenge readers to reexamine their notions of what it means to be prepared for work in education and to serve society through education. Beyond Alternative Teacher Education presents the case for ACE as the continuing of a tradition of 'service and justice' as carried out by the educational ministry of religious orders. The three 'pillars' of ACE, i.e., professional development, community and spirituality, show that ACE is more than simply an alternative teacher preparation program, it is a model of faith in action and a model of teacher formation. Thomas C. Hunt Professor of Education, University of Dayton Co-editor, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice Community, spirituality and leadership-these are not themes sounded frequently in discussions of teacher education. Beyond Alternative Teacher Education, however, puts them at the center, thereby creating a collection that offers new perspectives on what 'alternative' teacher education might mean. This is a book for all teacher educators. Anne Ruggles Gere Professor of English and Professor ofEducation, University of Michigan Past President, National Council of Teachers of English Beyond Alternative Teacher Education makes an important and unique contribution to the field of teacher education. It moves this dialogue past the short-sighted political fray and into enduring, real and compelling issues of teacher formation. The volume's chapters effectively pair scholarship and practical experience. The ACE programmatic model, one that merges professional, communal, and spiritual traditions in Catholic education, has grown nationally as a movement in programs of teacher and leadership education. This work represents a foundational and significant contribution to the field of Catholic education and the study of teacher formation. Terry A. Osborn Professor and Chair, Division of Curriculum and Teaching, Fordham University Contributor Bio:  Watzke, John L JOHN L. WATZKE is Assistant Professional Specialist and Fellow at the Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame.