Speech communication teachers at both secondary and postsecondary school levels must cooperate to improve oral communication education. Despite the importance of oral communication skills, speech courses are rarely required in high school. Teachers must tell school boards, higher education boards, and faculties of the importance of speaking and listening skills and the need for minimum standards in oral communication. In addition to providing leadership in promoting oral communication standards, college and university teachers can help persuade state certification agencies to set adequate requirements for oral communication teachers and can work at strengthening their teacher preparation programs. Students need more observation and practice experience before student teaching and more performance oriented speech classes as part of certification requirements. Teachers of methods courses should have significant secondary school teaching experience and secondary school students taking summer debate workshops should be taught solid argumentation and debate theory. Finally, members of higher education faculties should try to reach a wider audience by publishing articles in general rather than professional periodicals. (MM)