Whats the best way to improve our countrys public schools?
Answers Gary Ritter: The research on elementary and secondary education points to one factor as absolutely critical to student learning: the quality of the classroom teacher. We also know that teachers, like other professionals, respond to incentives. As a result, we should design compensation policies to attract and retain the best teachers by directing our resources toward these effective teachers and away from their ineffective peers. Merit pay is one such policy. This policy is even more appealing because it can improve student learning by encouraging teachers to pay closer attention to student achievement data. Dennis Van Roekel: NEA has created an initiative to transform America’s public schools by 2020. This initiative is designed to help enhance the capacities and success of the current K-12 system, build on the strengths of the system, and serve as a catalyst for the expansion of local programs and practices that work. The initiative seeks to inspire the American “can do” spir
