Misinformation and propaganda abound about the quality of teacher preparation in the United States. The Teachers We Need vs. the Teachers We Have reveals exactly how American teachers are taught, describes the wide disparities in the preparation of teachers across states, depicts how market-driven teacher preparation waters down the quality of teachers, and explains how teacher preparation in America compares with preparation for other careers in the United States and with teacher preparation programs in other countries.

"Baines (instructional leadership and academic curriculum, U. of Oklahoma) examines teacher preparation programs in the US and the need for improvement. He discusses the problems with teacher testing, alternative certification programs, and negative market-driven changes in university programs, as well as the success of teacher certification programs in Singapore and Finland, the need for a national standard of ethics, and how to elevate the status of teaching to that of medicine and other careers through national organization and specialized expertise." - Book News, Inc.