This proposed change from "foundations of education" to "the teaching profession" will needlessly cut the course off from the discipline/field of social foundations of education – a distinct field of study with graduate programs across the nation
The faculty who teach these courses have had specific training in the foundations fields, and if the name is changed in the new regulations, we worry that this particular professional studies requirement may not end up being taught by the faculty best prepared to do the course justice.
Foundations of Education coursework provides a unique and critically important component of teacher education, bringing perspective and meaning to the task of teaching and fostering consideration of the role of public schools in our democracy.
Study in Foundations of Education plays a key role in the development of reflective, thoroughly professional, and ultimately effective teachers for the Commonwealth because it places day-to-day classroom practice within wider contexts, providing time and space for consideration of such activities in light of the overall aims of education; such as education's role in supporting freedom of thought, social fairness, care for others, and democratic self-government, to name a few.
Foundations of Education’s focus on the “whys” of education—from societal goals to cultural and social trends affecting all aspects of education—are critical to effective implementation of the “hows” of classroom practice. Historically, Virginia has served as a point of origin for many of the realizations of the crucial role education plays in our democratic society and Foundations of Education study serves to help Virginia’s teachers continue to understand, appreciate, and maintain these connections.
