Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB - (Page 10)

their viewpoint on the front lines of public education, the current requirements to be declared “highly qualified” do little or nothing to sort out competent and incompetent teachers. As former National TOY Betsy Rogers, who coaches teachers daily, candidly noted: “In my school all but one teacher has reached ‘highly qualified’ status according to our state’s definition — but I see no evidence that being ‘highly qualified’ has anything to do with teacher quality.” Podcast: What about Bob? Renee Moore and Nancy Flanagan delve into the “highly qualified” provisions and the impact on schools and the teaching profession. A number of policy reports continue to make the claim that teaching is not a learned profession, that there is no “canonical knowledge” like in law or medicine that must guide teachers.viii Teacher Leaders Network members uniformly reject this notion. Amy Bailey eloquently elaborated the breadth of skills required to perform at high levels of teacher professionalism: Effective teachers are instructional strategy specialists well versed in brain research and learning theory. They understand how the mind processes and stores information as well as how it is retrieved. They can effectively use graphic organizers, color, mnemonics, manipulatives, content maps, and scores of other tools. They understand data from assessments, both formal and informal, and use it to make sound decisions about instruction. Effective teachers know developmental psychology and are skilled at motivation and persuasion. They can diffuse tense situations, promote a healthy sense of self-esteem while challenging students to stretch themselves and try new and difficult things. They can work with children, parents, community leaders, administrators, and the media. They maintain a delicate balance between objective professionalism and deep personal involvement. Effective teachers think. That is, they understand what it is that students need to learn, the multiple ways that the information can be taught, and how to assess whether or not learning has taken place. They can break the learning task into smaller pieces and reassemble it in myriad ways to make meaning for the student. They know how to connect the known with the unknown — linking new ideas and concepts to those already mastered. An effective teacher models thinking in ways that take the student inside the reasoning skills rather than just leading them to the information. These are all teaching skills that can be learned. Some policymakers and policy mavens believe that student performance on standardized tests provides a sufficient basis for judging the quality and expertise of teachers. In fact, this is one of the assumptions underlying the Bush administration’s Teacher Incentive Fund and its primary focus on using test scores to judge teachers. Teacher Leaders Network members embrace accountability and want more robust evaluation systems. However, solely using test scores to identify good teachers is the equivalent of using mortality rates to judge good doctors — no matter whether they are pediatricians or oncologists. Page 10

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB

Executive Summary The Future of American Education in the Making It is Time to Align NCLB Intentions and Consequences The Teacher Leaders Network Encounters NCLB from the Classroom NCLB Demands Results and So Do We Attention Alone Does Not Equal Effective Accountability Standardized Tests Fall Short of 21st Century Demands For What Future Is NCLB Preparing Students? As Testing Expands, the Curriculum Shrinks The Drive for Data Presents Potential for Significant Change Data Systems Don’t Keep Pace with Real-Time Instructional Needs AYP Highlights the Good, Bad, and Ugly of NCLB Does “Highly Qualified” Set the Teaching Bar Too Low? Teaching Quality Must Be More Than a Number Every Student Deserves a Highly Effective, Well-Trained Teacher Conclusions References

Teacher Leaders Network - NCLB

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