Yet most teachers enrolled in teacher-education programs are not environmentally aware, Cleminson said. They all read about these issues, certainly. Just four states require K-12 educators to complete courses dealing with the environment or related instruction before they receive their teaching license. Oregon and Washington are not among them. And those that do offer environmental education courses aren't bragging about their quality.
Children ultimately suffer.
Without a thorough understanding of an environmental issue, teachers are more likely to fall. With environmental education training, Coyle said, teachers find they can connect with students in a way they haven't before. Mike Weddle discovered the power of environmental themes six years ago when he asked his students at Waldo Middle School in Salem to create plans to save an endangered species. The project began as a way to teach students to make computer-generated presentations. After six years, it has grown to involve the school's entire seventh grade and a team of instructors who teach science, social studies and English.