The School of Education seeks to prepare its students beyond initial licensure by providing a common core of liberal arts education, an integration of congruent professional courses, guided field experiences, content-specific courses, and a moral commitment to the teaching profession with appropriate continuing assessment in a global democracy built on Christian values.

Freed-Hardeman University and its predecessors have prepared teachers for the classroom since 1870.  The university was approved as a teacher training institution at the two-year level by the Tennessee State Board of Education in 1925.  This approval was reaffirmed in 1952.  Institutional and program approval to provide teacher certification in elementary education and in selected secondary education subject areas, beginning with the 1976 graduating class, was granted by the state in February of 1976.  National accreditation of the elementary and secondary teacher education programs was granted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 1982, and was made retroactive to September, 1981.  Reaccredidation was granted by NCATE in March, 1992, and March, 2000, which included the Master of Education post-baccalaureate program.  While located primarily in the School of Education, educator preparation represents a university-wide collaborative effort involving the four other schools—Arts and Humanities, Biblical Studies, Business and Mathematics and Sciences.  Twelve departments across the university are involved to some degree in teacher education and school personnel certification.

The School of Education has adopted the conceptual framework of Reflective Educators Seeking To Serve.  The conceptual framework is built on the INTASC standards at the initial level, the six ISLLC standards, and standards adopted by ASCA, and the Christian heritage of Freed-Hardeman University.