In this, the second installment of a two-part report of the 46th annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, the report unveils what Americans are thinking about public schools--in particular their views of teachers and the classrooms where they work. Some findings were surprising, others were not. For example,…

Recent state and federal policies generally focus on the individual teacher rather than the school organization. These reforms seem to assume that a teacher can do it all, that an individual who succeeds in one school can succeed in any school and, conversely, that a teacher who fails in one classroom will fail in all others. However, there is no…

Data from a recent study show that investing in science teachers' professional growth and teaching ability is a wise choice. However, the professional development must have the right content (the science discipline that teachers are actually teaching), at the right time (when they are assigned to teach that science discipline), and in a stable…

Calls to fire the lowest-performing teachers are widespread, but such actions are not likely to improve teacher quality. Instead, educators should focus on improving the education system that can prevent even good teachers from providing high-quality teaching. To improve the teaching environment, educators and policy makers need to better…

Nations around the world are experimenting with ways to use salary incentives to recruit and retain teachers, fill vacancies in hard-to-staff areas, and improve student learning. These experiments come at a time when qualified teachers are in short supply and when teaching appears to be a less popular professional choice for young people. Programs…

The use of performance-based pay, or merit pay, has become a topic of increased focus in education circles in recent years. Questions about the effectiveness of these types of programs, coupled with a variety of criticisms about the benefits of merit pay, have resulted in teachers viewing this type of incentive structure with much skepticism. In…

When proposing performance pay for teachers, reformers first must answer three questions: What is the definition of teacher performance? What is the definition of student performance? and What are the goals of schooling? Reformers also need to examine the assumptions that guide their proposals and prepare to deal with the implementation issues…

Full-release mentoring programs draw successful mid-career teachers away from classrooms, with the inherent risk that they will decide not to return to classroom teaching, thus eliminating the opportunity for future students to benefit directly from their expertise. This might be enough for some districts, particularly those struggling to retain…

"Training" certainly fit the factory model of education. To others, the word conjured images of what one does to animals, getting them to sit, roll over, and play dead. Few educators now describe their learning experiences as training. The word "development" may be an improvement, but just a small one. It evokes images of what someone does to…

If professional development relies on scripts and mandates rather than on learning communities and continuous improvement, it can actually hinder teachers' growth. The author expresses his fear that the teachers most likely to receive such inferior training are the ones who work with the student population most in need of high-quality teaching.…

At the City University of New York (CUNY) the Faculty Development Program (FDP) helps develop faculty teaching skills by enrolling professors in courses they plan to teach. A writing instructor details his experiences while participating in English 0.4. (MD)

The improvement of college teaching rests not on improving the instructors, but on improving the contexts of teaching. (RA)

Lead teachers, a "second-wave" reform concept aimed at professionalizing teaching and decentralizing educational decision-making, might overcome technical and political problems that merit pay, career ladders, and mentor teacher plans have failed to resolve. Lead teachers are motivated by intrinsic rewards and opportunities to exercise…

Examines new institutional forms that support teachers' professional growth. Examines how existing arrangements can be redesigned to support reformers' visions and teachers' professional growth. Considers aspects of the larger education policy context that foster or impede teachers' incentives and ability to acquire new knowledge, skills, and…

In the broad sweep of U.S. history, teachers and teacher education do not emerge as potent forces. Teachers have been primarily female and have played a predetermined, subservient role. Recent findings show that the necessary conditions for vigorous, coherent, and self-renewing teacher preparation programs are not present. Suggestions are…