In a global knowledge economy, filling in the bubbles on a standardized test isn't going to prepare children to succeed in life. This is the time to shed the old conflicts and come together. In this article, the author suggests a new path forward--toward a 21st-century education system, a serious and comprehensive reform plan to transform U.S.…

Teachers in New Haven, Connecticut, recently ratified a contract that Education Secretary Arne Duncan praised as an "important progressive labor agreement" for its provisions on teacher evaluation and school reform. This article presents a conversation with David Cicarella, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, about the…

Since education is lifelong, linking teachers' salary and benefits to students' learning levels marks a novel approach to quantifying instructor ability. Adult Americans need to be asked how they feel about the education they received, and the teachers under whom they studied. (MLW)

Advocates standards-based teacher assessment linked with school reform as a system for building the capacity of elementary teachers. Suggests that linking teaching standards with student standards focuses and coordinates state reforms to address knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by teachers to enhance student learning. Examines a program in…