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How to Grow Good Teachers

April 4, 2015 By Nancy Bailey 1 Comment

Post Views: 69

Here is how those who have power could help teachers in public schools if they really wanted to. They are in no special order. I included these in the post about Nancie Atwell the other day, but I think they are worthy of standing alone. I didn’t want them overshadowed by the Nancie Atwell discussion.

Teachers and parents, feel free to add to the list. I will give you credit for your suggestions.

  • Federal, state and local school district policy makers need to start proudly investing in public schools instead of withholding funds in order to eventually convert public schools to charters.
  • Reduce the number of required high-stakes tests.
  • End Value-Added Measurement which is not accurate and does not improve teaching.
  • Support high school programs like Future Teachers of America to help young people think of teaching as a career.
  • Help public schools be community hubs to bring people together, giving teachers visibility and support.
  • Strengthen the PTA. Bring parents and teachers together.
  • Lower class sizes, especially in kindergarten through third grade.
  • All teachers should be fully-credentialed in their subject by a College of Education in an accredited university.
  • Any non-credentialed teacher should only be hired in an emergency and it should be temporary.
  • Create a new public relations program to welcome future career teachers to the university.
  • Insist on well-prepared, credentialed teachers for all classes, including the arts.
  • Create schools that have a balanced curriculum including the arts.
  • Permit teachers to have a vested interest and a voice in their school.
  • Increase support staff at the school, including guidance counselors, librarians, nurses, and school psychologists.
  • Address special education with a continuum of services, including parental involvement.
  • Look for better ways to devise unique school schedules that support a teacher’s ability to teach where learning is not disrupted.
  • Give teachers adequate time to plan each day.
  • Bring teachers together to collaborate for the benefit of their students.
  • Provide fair due process for all teachers.
  • Give teachers tenure and better job security after the first 4 years of a trial basis.
  • Improve Colleges of Education that need it.
  • Investigate the Common Core State Standards and any test that goes with it. Don’t force these standards on schools and teachers.
  • Improve school buildings when necessary and make them clean and safe.
  • Only permit teacher or educator run charter schools overseen by the school district.
  • Enforce regulations when it comes to outside influences on the school and school district.
  • Businesspeople with no vested interest in the school, should not override a teacher’s professionalism.
  • Improve media/library centers. It doesn’t cost much.
  • Provide technology to supplement, not take over, teaching.
  • Make Teach for America and teacher fellow programs a teacher’s aid program.
  • Ensure that those in educational leadership roles have experience working with children for several years at least.
  • Insist that those in educational leadership roles earn a degree in school administration at an accredited university.
  • Consider any teacher who graduates an accredited College of Education program a leader.
  • Pay teachers fairly according to the step experience. It is fair and easy to understand and doesn’t divide teachers.
  • Award innovation grants to teachers and groups of educators who write formal proposals for student projects.
  • Do not fill a teacher’s time with irrelevant tasks.
  • Don’t make teachers attend meetings that are a waste of their time.

 

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Comments

  1. Jennifer Tellez says

    April 5, 2015 at 2:44 am

    Parents should be held accountable more for their children as well. Sort of like truancy. Maybe legal action of some kind for being a negligent parent as far as participating in your child’s education.

    I also believe lawmakers need to invest in early childhood education for all. The UK has this federally funded. Maybe even start preschool at 4 – full day, so parents don’t have to pay for inadequate babysitters. If you’re gonna “dump” your child you might as well put them in good hands!

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