Summit Offers Lesson Plan For Improving Teacher Quality

Posted by on July 9, 2004

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

Now, more than ever, a child?s educational experience shapes his or her economic and social future, writes Duane Elling. And among the factors influencing that experience, the research is clear: Good teaching weighs in more than most factors. Yet many large urban and small rural districts — which are often home to the most hard-to-staff schools — struggle to recruit teachers who are capable of creating inspiring and effective learning environments, and who will make long-term commitments to those underserved communities. Traditional approaches to recruitment often have been costly and, even more disheartening, unsuccessful. Now, many residents from these communities are looking to themselves and their neighbors to bring high-quality teachers to their classrooms. Their grassroots-driven approach demonstrates the power of low-income people to address the concerns affecting their families and neighborhoods. Understanding the role of education organizing in achieving meaningful school change is a fundamental.

http://www.mott.org/publications/pdf/Memov3n1.pdf