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Friday, May 20, 2011

Speaking of Salaries

Speaking of Salaries

Speaking of Salaries

What It Will Take to Get Qualified, Effective Teachers in All Communities

SOURCE: AP Photo
Teacher Calvin Hobbs works with students at Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology in Detroit.

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The fact that well-qualified teachers are inequitably distributed to students in the United States has received growing public attention. By every measure of qualifications—certification, subject matter background, pedagogical training, selectivity of college attended, test scores, or experience—less-qualified teachers tend to be found in schools serving greater numbers of low-income and minority students. Studies in state after state have found that students of color in low- income schools are 3 to 10 times more likely to have unqualified teachers than students in predominantly white schools.

Indeed, because of public attention to these disparities, Congress included a provision in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 that states should ensure all students have access to