Looking back to move forward: re-examining “alternative” certification as a site for teacher learning

Alternative teacher certification programs (ATCPs) are popular policy responses to the growing US teacher shortage problem, yet debates around these programs often fail to recognise the unique experiences of beginning teachers in this licensure pathway. In this essay, I draw on Dewey's (1904) essay 'The Relation of Theory to Practice in Education' to clarify the meaning and implications of so-called 'alternative' programs. I argue that by analysing the time, placement, and methods of practice work reveals how ATCP teachers are both under-supported and closely surveilled. I conclude with a call for ATCP designs to intentionally prepare teachers for this reality.