Special Issue: Rethinking Schools on Teacher Quality

Posted by on June 16, 2006

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY

Everyone agrees that children deserve quality teachers. But what constitutes a quality teacher? What kind of policies and practices can improve teaching? How do we keep experienced educators in the classroom? The winter edition of Rethinking Schools takes a hard look at how communities, schools, teacher unions, social justice groups and other key players are working to improve teacher quality, where they agree and where they differ, and where we go from here. “Improving teacher quality is key to building a better public school system,” write the editors of Rethinking Schools. “But it is not a matter of exhorting educators to do more with less, securing more teacher-proof curricula, or making test-driven threats. It’s a matter of reform grounded in the classroom, of respect for teaching as a profession, of a broader vision for social justice, and of improved organizing and collaboration. To see the complete special section on teacher quality, go to:

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/curriss.shtml