Special Education as a Constraint on Teacher Education Reform

Abstract

Current proposals to reform teacher edu cation have omitted from consideration the relationship between programs that prepare teachers of the handicapped and those that prepare regular class room teachers. The failure to address the place of special education in the con text of reform appears to be based on the belief that little, if any, relationship exists. Pugach argues that the existence of programs to prepare special educa tion teachers influences general teacher education in ways that pose serious con straints on educational reform. The major argument presented is that teacher education programs in special education create a dependency mental ity that constrains and artificially nar rows the conceptualization of the profes sional responsibilities of general class room teachers and thus the content of their preparation. Dependence of this nature is faulty primarily because many services provided by special education do not differ substantially from those that should routinely be available in gen eral classrooms. Without recognition of such institutionalized dependence, ef forts to reform teacher education may be seriously undermined.