Is Education on the Wrong Track?

[Jeff Delp]

Is Education on the Wrong Track?

A must read article in light of recent focus/discussion about teacher improvement. Consider this excerpt:

"It is conventional in education policy these days to say that the most
important influence on student achievement is the quality of a teacher.
This is only true if it is qualified as the most important school
influence on achievement. Fifty years of social science research has
confirmed, over and over again, that the best predictor of student
achievement is not teacher quality or any other school influence, but
the social and economic circumstances of the children."

Professional growth and teacher improvement is absolutely critical, but
we can't ignore the social and environmental factors that have a
significant impact on student performance and success.

[Alan Stange]

Thanks for reminding everyone of this.

[Amanda Kenuam]

SO true. Have you been following Florida's Senate Bill 6? http://bit.ly/bQ20Wm

[Tater]

Parents are the primary educators of a child. Unfortunately not everyone that is one is QUALIFIED to be one.

[Ben Lewis]

Completely agree with you. The best classroom teacher in the world have a difficult time educating a child whose parents both lost their jobs and house. However, we are increasing expected to be the biggest learning factor in the classroom, hence the move towards merit pay.