I think the answer to that is no. We, all of us, need to give teachers more support. There are very few professions where you graduate, get your certificate and then are put in a classroom with 30 kids-the door is shut, and everyone just says, "Good luck." School districts need a lot of support. Some school districts have used mentor teachers, those who help new teachers. That's a great idea. Corporations can be more supportive of schools and teachers too. And I really want to encourage colleges of education to keep in contact with their recent graduates. Alumni need to be asked what's really important: "Were you prepared? To be better prepared, how could you better have spent your time in college?"
In higher education, especially in light of September 11, how should we fulfill our obligation to train international students?
More than ever, it's important to have exchange programs in which American students go abroad and foreign students come to the U.S. There are a lot of scholarships that are designed specifically for exchange programs. But I think it's very important for colleges and universities to reach out to foreign students, to make sure they have the chance to get to know American students.
