Hiring the Best Teachers

It is really a cliche to say that the single most important thing we can do for the education of students is to hire great teachers (or developing teachers with great potential). I recently read "Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in US Teaching" which was in the McKinsey Quarterly. According to the article, we should be focusing on attracting teacher candidates from the top tier of college graduates. "In the US, only 23 percent of new teachers come from the top third (of their academic cohort), and just 14 percent of new teachers who come from the top third work in high-poverty schools..." The false argument, often promulgated by those with an anti-intellectual bent, is that college students with a 4.0 average are not necessarily guaranteed to be good teachers. Suggesting that schools work hard to recruit college students in the top third of their graduating class is not akin to suggesting only 4.0 students need apply. Those who want to teach must have depth and breadth of knowledge...when mediocrity is placed in front of the class, what a terrible disservice we do to thousands of students.

Great Book

Doug Lemov's book, Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College, should be required reading for those in the field of education. The practical tips for teachers included in this book are based on the best practices of highly effective teachers. A CD accompanies the book so teachers and education school students can see techniques employed by gifted teachers.