How good are the teachers? Research confirms what most people remember from their own schooling: Good teachers are the key to a good education. But how can you assess the quality of teachers at your child's school? Looking at data is an excellent first step and will tell you two important things: how many years the teachers at this school have been teaching and their average salary. Although this data can help you draw some conclusions, the best way to assess teacher quality at your child's school is to visit and meet your child's teachers. Is more experience better? Yes and no. There is no doubt that experienced teachers who have had many years to learn and perfect their strategies are often more skilled at classroom management and organizing instructional time. However, sometimes experience leads to stagnation, and young, fresh teachers can bring enthusiasm, energy and new ideas to a school. The most effective schools have a combination of experienced and new teachers, and create opportunities for all teachers to learn from each other. Do higher salaries indicate better teacher quality? Although it seems obvious that the best teachers will opt to work at schools offering higher salaries, teaching is one of few professions in which salary is not based on performance. Schools and districts develop pay scales so that all first-year teachers in a school make the same amount -- no matter what their students achieve. Many teachers who work hard and perform at the highest levels are not motivated by money. On the other hand, higher teacher salaries will draw better applicants. Therefore, the federal government is trying to find ways to attract high-quality teachers to the country's lowest performing schools by subsidizing salaries, forgiving educational loans or offering to pay for graduate degrees. Your own observations: The best way to find out In the end, the most important assessment of teacher quality may be what you observe in the classroom. Schedule a tour of the school and visit as many classrooms as you can. Every school has a wide variety of teaching styles and expertise.  |
BEAR CREEK MEADOWS
September 3, 2010
BEAR CREEK MEADOWS : Katy, Texas
Katy, TX
Nearby Neighborhoods
- Avalon At Seven Meadows
- BRENWOOD PARK
- Bear Creek Villages
- Bridgeland News
- CG Cinco Ranch
- CYPRESS FALLS
- Chesterfield
- Cinco Ranch - Equestrian
- Cinco Ranch - Meadow Place - Southpark
- Cinco Ranch - Shadowbend
- Fairfield
- Falcon Point
- Greentrails News
- Heritage Meadows
- My Fairfield News
- My Westgate News
- North Lake Village
- Northlake - Cinco Ranch
- Stone Creek
- Willowfork CC News
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