Dear Mr.

Secretary:

Teacher education reform is an education equity mandate. Rookie teachers disproportionately

teach low-income and racial minority students in high-poverty schools. Year-after-year and grade-
after-grade, low-income and minority students are taught by a stream of novice teachers. As
matter of educational equity and in furtherance of socioeconomic mobility, we need rookie
teachers to be ready on day one to teach all students successfully to high standards.

To facilitate improvement in teacher training, the Department of Education's final rule governing
teacher preparation programs (Docket ID ED-2014-OPE-0057) should:

(1) ensure creation of an information ‘feedback loop’ whereby teacher candidate placement,
retention, and K-12 classroom student achievement results are reported back to teacher
preparation programs and made public so that those programs can self-improve quickly and
efficiently, including through embrace of better clinical training efforts, and

(2) reward teacher education programs that have a track record of producing teacher candidates
who go on to contribute to strong elementary and secondary student academic gains in all
subjects where growth can be ascertained.

Better information and rewards for K-12 classroom success will enable and encourage teacher
preparation programs to improve; empower future teacher candidates to choose wisely among
preparation program options; and help hiring school districts, schools, and principals target
recruiting efforts on programs that prepare new teachers ready to succeed on day one.

I urge the Department of Education to release its final rule quickly and reflective of the these key
principles. Our country and our most vulnerable children need the best teaching we can provide.

Signed,

Laurta Kornfeld

4 Turf Lane
Rye, NY 10580