We look to teachers to help every student learn

 Accountability

Is my child learning?

Teacher while addressing her class When it comes to education, this is the first question in every parent's mind.

And we can answer that question only through shared responsibility, shared accountability.

It is our responsibility to set a high standard for each child regardless of the challenges the child faces, and to provide each child with the teaching and support to meet those expectations. It is a promise of public education and the right of every child.

It is our responsibility to set a high standard for every teacher. The teacher has the most direct impact on a child's success in the classroom.

Accountability means holding everyone with responsibilities for performing to high standards.

We look to school districts and states to invest in classroom resources and support teachers – setting clear expectations, helping teachers develop their craft, providing meaningful support tailored to teacher needs , and then provide an unbiased, multidisciplinary review of how well teachers are meeting the educational needs of our students. We also look at districts and states year after year to improve the number of schools falling short.

We look to Principals to establish a safe, welcoming and rigorous school culture with a coherent and compelling vision for learning and development. We look to principals to promote excellence by recognizing top teachers, providing support to help struggling teachers improve, and replacing those who are not showing improvement.

We look to teachers to help every student learn - not just students who are self-motivated learners. We look to teachers to model that love of learning – engaging students in new ways to learn, mastering their subject, seeking advice and accepting critical feedback, and more in their craft each year. are better.

We look to parents to be partners in their child's education - prioritize learning at home, advocate for their child, and understand how they can help make things better in their children's classrooms and schools Huh.

And we should all look in the mirror and ask: What else can I do to improve educational opportunities for my children?

What about testing?

We need tests. They are one way to answer the question: Is my child learning?

Testing needs to be fair, reflective of high standards, and conducted in moderation. They will let parents and teachers know if a child is learning the basics, as well as developing critical thinking skills. Tests should be used to help identify a child's strengths and weaknesses, so that learning can be improved for that child.

We need to be accountable for the quality of public education, which also means we should not over-examine our children or spend excessive learning time testing readiness.

What about teacher evaluation?

We need fair, balanced and regular teacher evaluations that allow parents to believe that their child has a teacher who is passionate about their craft, knows how to engage students with creative lessons. engage, and engage with students as individual learners.

Test results that show how students are learning should be a measure of a teacher's overall performance, along with classroom observations, student surveys, and other indicators.

We have to stop fighting this common sense change in teacher support and evaluation. We can't go back to the past – when there were no clear expectations for teachers, no meaningful training and support, and 97 percent of teachers in the US were rated "satisfactory", mainly due to cursory classroom visits and superficial was based on checklist.

We know what is possible when we devote less energy to what separates us and focus more on what binds us together: faith in our children; Hope for a bright future.