Keep All the Top Teachers
By MICHELLE RHEE
Published: January 22, 2011
THE past year was a sobering one for American educators, as we learned that the United States is falling farther behind in international student rankings. To his credit, President Obama put forward a plan for change that hit the mark, a brilliant stroke that even the “abolish the Department of Education” crowd had to admire. Race to the Top, the competitive grant program that harnesses stimulus dollars to drive reform, convinced a surprising number of governors and legislators from both parties to pay the entrance fee by proving they could strengthen their education laws.
THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH
What Should the President Say?
Politicians, journalists and experts in various fields share what issues they would like addressed in the President’s State of the Union speech.
Twelve states improved their evaluation tools so that they can identify effective teachers and make sure they are prized in the classroom. Six states reversed policies that had made it impossible to use student achievement to evaluate classroom teachers. And 27 broadened their public charter school laws, giving parents more choices and reminding everyone that competition in education is a good thing.