No Child Left Behind is a federal law.

First, the U.S. administration pushes through an education bill that calls for guaranteeing a “highly qualified” teacher in every classroom. Then the administration releases a report arguing that the nation’s education schools spend too much time on classroom methodology. Mixed messages? More like a punch in the jaw, say educators involved in such training programs. “We ask policymakers not to lower standards by placing unqualified, unprepared individuals into classrooms,” said Arthur E. Wise, president of the Washington-based National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Education Department officials said that schools need to spend less time explaining the mechanics of teaching and more time making sure educators understand the subjects they teach. Indeed, reports show that many teachers do not have a firm grasp on the subject matter they are assigned. This debate over content versus method takes on new significance now that the federal No Child Left Behind law requires states to certify in the next three years that all of their classroom teachers are highly qualified. Darling-Hammond cited several studies showing that students score lower on standardized tests when their teachers do not have education training or certification. Reducing preparation, she said, may also increase the chance that new teachers will leave the profession. Several experts said there was room for improvement in both methods and content courses and that education schools should focus more precisely on the different needs of teachers at different grade levels.