Friday, January 20, 2012

Viewpoints: Let educators help improve teacher quality - Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: Let educators help improve teacher quality - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial | Sacramento Bee: "Let educators help improve teacher quality"

Viewpoints: Let educators help improve teacher quality

Special to The Bee

PUBLISHED FRIDAY, JAN. 20, 2012


California's public education system faces many short-term challenges to advance its mission of preparing all students for a productive future.

We have endured budget cuts totaling tens of billions of dollars in recent years, but we cannot pause to wait for an economic recovery; the state and its public school employees must continually seek improvement and pursue excellence.

While there is a consensus that the quality of teaching is essential to student success, we still seek consensus around the means of providing higher quality instruction in every classroom and school.

In our roles as co-associate directors of Accomplished California Teachers, we will be in Sacramento today to participate in a policy summit sponsored by the Stuart Foundation titled "Teaching Quality for California's Future."

Our message to the state's policymakers and education leaders will be: In order to meet the imperative need of improved teaching quality, California must engage teachers in the creation and