The end of this year is going to bring something that even veteran teachers have never experienced: the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law's "highly qualified teacher" deadline. NCLB's "highly qualified teacher" (HQT) provision is an attempt to put a well-prepared and capable teacher in every classroom. Most parents and teachers welcome the national effort to improve teacher quality, especially in disadvantaged communities. In this brief article, the author, President of the American Federation of Teachers, presents his views and the organization's recommendations on the issues that need to be addressed in order to put highly qualified teachers in every classroom. Among these are: teacher education, state licensing exams, mentoring, professional development, and compensation.