Today, defining a good teacher has become far more complex than we might remember from our own schooldays. Many states now rely on student test scores as a major way to assess teacher quality, while others also use classroom observations, student evaluations, and lesson plan reviews. Backers of tougher assessments argue that since U.S. students as a whole are lagging behind other industrialized nations, something needs to be done. But others worry that these data-driven judgments diminish what’s really important: teachers using their skills and creativity to engage with students .
GUESTS:
- Steven Dayno - fourth grade teacher at the Lyme School.
- Ben Dick - English teacher at Memorial High School and president of the Manchester Education Association
- Ashley Frame - a classroom teacher for 9 years, she now works for the NH Dept. of Education in the areas of professional development for educators and also educator effectiveness
- Liana Heitin - assistant editor for Education Week
