A Cause for Laura Bush: Teaching How to Teach

Recalling her difficulties decades ago as a new teacher, First Lady Laura Bush said colleges still are not always preparing new teachers for the classroom.

“People leave college with their teacher certificate in hand and they go into a classroom and come to find out they’ve never really learned how to teach somebody to read,” she said before opening a two-day White House conference on early childhood education.

Bush urged teachers who find their education lacking to write to their college and complain. She said she hopes to work with colleges to “beef up” teacher training.

Bush taught second grade for four years before working as a librarian. Her experience reflects that of many teachers, according to a recent survey by Education Week, which showed that about 20% of new teachers quit after three years, while 50% quit after five years.