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It’s time to get serious about teacher quality

Tuesday, August 7 at 12:45 PM

This Speakout has not been edited.

By Vincent Badolato

A major educational goal for Colorado is closing the achievement gap, which is the disparity in academic performance primarily between lower performing African-American and Latino students and their higher performing white peers, as well as similar disparities between low-income and more affluent students.

The proven ability to narrow this gap in his district was one reason why Dwight Jones was unanimously selected by the State Board of Education to serve as the next Colorado Commissioner of Education. If Colorado is to be successful in narrowing the achievement gap statewide, however, it is time to get serious about one factor that directly effects student achievement: teacher quality.

Teachers matter for student achievement. Good social sciences research tells us that not only are differences in student achievement associated with the quality of teaching, but teachers have been found to have a greater effect on student achievement than any other school factors. But the notion that teacher quality matters for student achievement goes beyond what the research says. It is also common sense that children learn more from a teacher that has the skills, knowledge and ability to equip his or her students with what is needed to excel in life.

While high-quality teachers are essential to help ensure that all children are offered good educational opportunities, these high-quality teachers are not equally distributed among districts, schools and classrooms. This “teacher gap” has been documented at the national level and in Colorado, the latter in the 2006 Alliance for Quality Teaching report, “Shining the Light: The State of Teaching in Colorado.” This study found that low-income and minority students are more likely to be taught by lower-quality teachers – as measured by experience and education levels – than their more-affluent and white peers, and that measures of this gap are correlated to the achievement gap. More alarmingly, the teacher gap has widened since 2000. As teacher quality directly affects student achievement, Colorado’s troublesome teacher gap is an impediment to narrowing the pervasive achievement gap.

There is quite a bit about the teacher gap that we don’t know or can’t be sure of, however. We don’t know what the gap looks like within schools at the classroom level. We don’t know what district and school policies and practices work to help close – or, conversely, exacerbate – the gap. We can’t be sure as to which policy tools would directly help address the unequal distribution of teachers. We also don’t have the ability to gain a better understanding of factors that contribute to the teacher gap, such as detailed information regarding teacher attrition and mobility, or teacher contributions to student learning, known as “value-added.” A significant issue that hamstrings the ability to learn more about the teacher gap and the relationship between teaching and learning is a significant and glaring lack of good data on the teacher workforce at the state level. Accurate, timely and accessible data on a variety of teacher factors – such as preparation, certification, recruitment, assignment, professional development, retention, turnover, movement in-out of teaching, and retirement – are necessary to gain important information about teaching and help make sound, data-driven teacher-quality decisions. While the Colorado Department of Education collects and manages a fairly extensive amount of data on the Colorado teacher workforce (and was recently awarded a $4.2 million federal grant to help design and implement a modern education data system), these data are incomplete and insufficient. Additionally, the lack of a static unique identifier for each individual inhibits the linking of an individual’s record across years or databases. Without this element, it is difficult – if not impossible – to develop the comprehensive teacher data system necessary for making good policy, program and resource allocation decisions.

The General Assembly and Governor Ritter took an important step toward addressing both the teacher gap and the lack of good data on the teacher workforce this past session by passing and signing into law Senate Bill (SB) 140, which creates the two-year Quality Teachers Commission. This Commission, which is slated to begin meeting in early August, is tasked with the dual responsibilities of (1) examining the teacher gap in detail and making recommendations to directly address it, and (2) studying the feasibility of, and developing an implementation plan for, a unique teacher identifier system in order to begin improving the quality and quantity of data on teaching in Colorado.

Creating the Quality Teachers Commission demonstrates that both the General Assembly and the Governor are prepared to get serious about teacher quality in Colorado. It is therefore essential that those chosen to serve on the 13-member Commission share this seriousness. With a forward thinking group that recognizes the importance of their task, this Commission will develop strong recommendations that can make a significant impact on the teacher gap, and the achievement gap by association. Maybe then we can begin making meaningful changes to improve education and student achievement in Colorado. Our children deserve it.

Vincent Badolato is the program associate at the Alliance for Quality Teaching, a Colorado nonprofit organization based in Denver.

READER COMMENTS

Dravur, I agree the school system needs an overhaul. There needs to be competition.I think I should be able to take my school dollars and choose what school is best for my children. If the school doesn't perform to my standards or is not teaching my children ,I can then find a better school.

In other countries the money follows the child. If the school is not up to par it goes out of business and then the parents can choose where to send their children.

Competition is good.Our country thrives on competition. If a business cannot provide the best customer service and product they go out of business.

The time has come to change the way we educate our children. Right now we are forced to pay for a product and services that are failing our children. Not all of us can afford private schools so we are forced to endure a failing school system.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 15, 2007 10:06 AM

If you like eloquent prose, then I suggest you read Mike Rosen's column. Also, I have yet to hear where my statements would be wrong regarding choice and competition in schools.

And yes, the airlines have this silly little thing called competition. They have to provide what the customer wants at a price the customer will pay. If an airline starts offering free meals, etc, the customer has to pay for them. Considering that airlines seats are a commodity, the best price tends to win. If I am going to Atlanta, I want the cheapest flight possible. I can drop by a restaurant for a meal. I want to get to Atlanta, and I want it as inexpensive as possible.

So, yes, competition would work in school choice. I can take my bucks and go to a Montessori school, a Religious school, a Liberal hippie school or an Ayn Rand School, but the choice is mine. If the school has horrible teachers, I can move my student and the school will suffer for it. But the child won't. I can get him/her into the best curriculum for their talents.

Isn't that better than warehousing the kids in failing schools with failing teachers protected from firing by the NEA? It's for the children.

Posted by Dravur on August 12, 2007 12:14 AM

"Strange, I would have thought an argument stood on it's own merits not whether I kin typ gud."

Actually, no, it doesn't, Dravur, especially with this particular subject. What's really strange is that someone who feels equal to criticizing education would do so in such an illiterate manner. At least AMEN has a point of reference to back up her statements.

Speaking of your argument, do you still really think it's a good idea for schools to be run for profit only? Your sneer at my airline analogy seems to infer that lousy service is acceptable as long as the company is making money.

Posted by Hans Christian Brando on August 11, 2007 11:27 AM

Hans, I was a preschool teacher for 13 years. I taught everyone of my students how to read before kindergarten and they were totally prepared for their school career. That's what I taught them. School is your job and you must always try to do your best. I also had an after school program where all the kids sat down together and did homework and helped each other. Homework was started immediately after school and was a tradition they carried through their entire school career. They were all Honor Roll Students and graduated and went on to college.

I am still in touch with most of them and they all have become very productive citizens and great adults.

I teach my children something everyday. It could be just a minor thing or we sit down and work on their skills.

I was also a nanny when I moved out here and taught her boys to read before kindergarten.

I've always wondered if a lowly preschool teacher can teach every child she has come in contact with to read,why can't the teachers with degrees?

Makes me wonder.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 10, 2007 01:42 PM

ITS TIME TO GET THE TEACHERS SERIOUS...V-O-U-C-H-E-R-S...WILL DO THE TRICK.

COMPETITION GET'S EVERYONE SERIOUS AND EVERYONE'S ATTENTION!.

Posted by Hank on August 10, 2007 12:05 PM

Awwww, so, sloppy prose invalidates a good argument. Strange, I would have thought an argument stood on it's own merits not whether I kin typ gud.

Alas, there is a clearing price for every job in this country. A teacher should be paid whatever the market will bear. A science or math teacher is worth more than a phys ed teacher and there is a shortage of them. They should be paid more to attract people who have better options in the market place. Conversely, if you majored in "Phys ed" with all of the others, you have little value as there are dozens waiting in line to take that job. The laws of the free market stand.

It is interesting that you chose the airlines, Hans. If you can think of a way for the airlines to make a profit by making the seats wider (less seats) force fuel costs down and still provide a hot meal and a towel for your head without raising costs, the airlines would like to talk to you. Economic reality seems to be a sticking point. But, thanks for the strawman argument.

Bring choice and competition into the system and let the parents decide where to take their dollars and their kids.

Who wants to bet that the commission will find that we all just need to throw more of our tax dollars at the problem.... anyone? Beuhler? Beuhler?

Posted by Dravur on August 9, 2007 11:26 PM

AMEN, you sound like you'd be an excellent teacher. Did you ever consider it? The reason that there are as many dingaling teachers out there as there are, aside from the fact that America neither respects the profession specifically nor education in general (I'd love to read Dravur's response if a teacher were to point out every grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and even capitalization error in his/her 2:42 post--and yes, it does matter because sloppy prose vitiates what may possibly be a valid viewpoint), is that it's difficult tempting those with genuine talent for it. This is strange because in this country there's a common misconception that teaching is a highly-paid kickback job and that the teacher's hours are the students' hours.

As for Dravur's "free market" idea, does anyone seriously want schools to be run the way, say, airlines are (remember when air travel used to be convenient, efficient, and even enjoyable?), by some profiteers who find it's easier and cheaper to hire a new PR firm to come up with snappy new slogans than to maintain quality?

Posted by Hans Christian Brando on August 9, 2007 07:36 PM

Nice Strawman, "Hans".

Someone judges my performance every day. It is the owner of the company. I also have my own company. Guess what? yep, I get judged by my customers every day. Why should teachers feel left out?

Of course they should be judged. I have seen teachers and professors who had no business teaching kindergarten, let alone college level classes...think Ward Churchill, but with more integrity. But, these same "teachers" knew that nothing could be done to them.

How about this. Let people start charter schools, hire teachers and treat it like a biz. The students could take their cash to wherever they want. Entrepreneurs could start schools as a money making endeavor and if they fail you, you take your kid and your cash wherever the curriculum and teachers are better. The schools would strive to keep good teachers, get rid of the ones dragging down the bottom line and the system would work. I watch a Montessori school in Boulder that does this. and they have great results.

Posted by Dravur on August 9, 2007 02:42 PM

This was a very interesting article. I would like to learn more about the "Quality Teachers Commission " and the criteria that they will use to measure a teacher's performance. I agree that after parent involvement in their children's education, teachers make the most impact in a student's education, especially for poor or minority students. Perhaps salary incentives and career advancement bonuses can be given to reward expert teachers to teach in low performing schools?
Anything that focuses on improving education in Colorado is applauded as a step in the right direction!!

Posted by a concerned parent on August 8, 2007 05:45 PM

That's a goog idea Hans. Can I submit the letter from my child's 4 th grade teacher thanking me for teaching her multiplication and cursive handwriting when no one else in the class knew. How about the letter from my other child's 1st grade teacher thanking me for teaching my child how to read and informing she is already passed the 1st grade reading scale.They use this scale to see what level on the scale they are. It goes from 1-24. My daughter tested passed 24 and beyond.

Bring it on.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 8, 2007 05:43 PM

Maybe teachers should be filling out parent evaluations, too. And maybe a group of teachers should come around to your workplace and judge your job performance.

Posted by Hans Christian Brando on August 8, 2007 12:39 PM

Dravur, In my district we have the option of moving our children to any school we choose. The problem is there are so few really good schools that you can't get them in because there is a long waiting list.

You would think this would send a message to the Administration that most of their schools are crappy and parents are trying to get their children into the good ones,though they are few.

They don't give a damn.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 8, 2007 11:59 AM

So, let's see.... you don't want to fire the bad teachers.... no, you can't have that. tHat would violate so many union rules about keeping the worst along with the best. What the proposal is, is to make all the schools equally crappy by moving the bad teachers to the good schools...

Wow, what a concept. How about this. Choice and competition in schools. Take your kid to whatever school you want. Let the free market rule. The good teachers will gravitate to the schools that pay them and the bad teachers will be let go. Novel concept, but it works in business. If your kid is not learning, take him and his dollars to another school, of your choice.

Posted by Dravur on August 8, 2007 11:17 AM

One of our kids had a 2nd grade teacher whose Karma came back bigtime. She yelled SO HARD the very first day of school, that her throat was damaged. She spent the entire rest of the year whispering vehemently, "Be Quiet! Sit down!" while the kids pretended not to hear.
Was only there a single year, and hopefully found a career she liked better.

Posted by Kathy Hansen on August 8, 2007 10:54 AM

I would love to see the kindergarten teacher that my daughter had fired.She is now teaching 2nd grade which means she will be around my child going into 2nd grade,since 2nd grade classes do alot of things together. I am waiting for the school office to open and get my children transferred out of that school.I have had enough and am tired of fighting to get my children educated.

The last day of school my child finally felt this teacher got her due.As we turned the corner to go into the neighborhood a police officer had someone pulled over and was giving them a ticket. It was the wicked kindergarten teacher! My kids were laughing and whooping it up.I've have a saying my mother taught me at an early age and I have passed it down to my children. What goes around comes around.

On my way out the police was still writing the ticket. I stopped so she could see me and said to the officer, " Excuse me officer,but I just wanted to let you know you have made my children's day,Thank You. " He said your welcome as I watch her face turn to anger.

That day my child felt all the torment ,retaliation and disrespect that teacher put her through was her come around.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 8, 2007 10:47 AM

"I suggest to the teacher evaluation panel to look at the assessments of each school kid going into a grade and the end of the year assessments to see if they made progress. If this teacher shows no improvement in getting her students prepared for the next grade,something needs to be done with this teacher."

How about firing the bad teachers? Oh yeah, have to get that passed by the union and we know how that will go!

Posted by on August 8, 2007 10:08 AM

Parents should get involved like the previous poster. But, not many do, expect the teacher to do it all. if the parents put the kids in front of the tv and forget them, they should bear some of the responsibility of their kids lack of education.

Posted by Sam18 on August 8, 2007 09:30 AM

Posted by Sam Ebel on August 8, 2007 09:29 AM

Your article makes it clear why teachers (and all other school workers) need regulation and protection statewide.
So long as DPS has its own policies, union and retirement plan, the necessary integration will never occur.

Posted by Kathy Hansen on August 8, 2007 09:14 AM

My child's kindergarten teacher was the worst teacher I have ever come in contact with.I volunteered and did alot of testing throughout the year to see if the children were making progress. they were not. At the end of the year I went to a few parents I had met through the school year and told them if they don't do something now their children are going to be way behind in 1st grade.
I even offered to put together a summer program for a few to bring their child up to grade level. They said they trusted the school would step up and help their children.

I taught preschool for 13 years and taught every child I had in my program to read and be ready for kindergarten . I also taught my own children to read before kindergarten,it is not rocket science.

I often wonder why a lowly preschool teacher can out teach a degreed kindergarten and 1st grade teacher?

The parents I offered to help came to me at the end of 1st grade asking me what they should do,their children were way behind and still could not read very well.

I told them to complain to the Principal about the poor start the got in kindergarten.

This kindergarten teacher has had many ,many complaints. She is cold and can't teach.They moved her to 2nd grade.

I warned the parents their children were going into 1st grade behind. They ignored my advice,so they are to blame for putting their children in the schools hands with no help from home.

I suggest to the teacher evaluation panel to look at the assessments of each school kid going into a grade and the end of the year assessments to see if they made progress. If this teacher shows no improvement in getting her students prepared for the next grade,something needs to be done with this teacher.

The majority of this kindergarten teachers students were passed on to 1st grade way behind,except mine,because she was already ahead a year before going into kindergarten and her teacher hated her for it and made her life miserable.

Parents should also be required to fill out teacher evaluations each year.Our input is needed too.

Posted by Can I get an AMEN! on August 8, 2007 09:12 AM