Real Clear Education – Patrick Riccards
“We already have a pretty good idea what it is that good teachers know and are able to do. Now is the time to focus more on how to prepare them to know and do those things, before they enter the classroom, and how to stay sharp as they continue their careers. In two new reports from Bellwether Education Partners, Chad Aldeman and Ashley LiBetti Mitchel examine the decline in the professional experience today’s classroom teachers have and suggest what states can and should do to prepare more effective teachers for today’s and tomorrow’s classrooms. In looking at specific efforts in 11 states in “No Guarantees,” the authors recommend strategies to increase access to good teachers, including “unpacking of the black box of good teaching,” while noting “We don’t yet know how to identify or train good teachers.” Through decades of work, Charlotte Danielson has clearly identified the knowledge and skills that beginning teachers need to both succeed in those formative years and remain in the classroom for many years to come.”(more)