Persuasive Essay On Education

Education

Education is the single greatest asset in creating the informed, capable citizens essential in every modern society. Our country’s success hinges on our ability to reform education to better prepare students for the new challenges of contemporary society. One of the most crucial areas of education that must be revisited during such changes is that of educators. Teachers’ vital role in education is clear, what must be determined is how to train and evaluate our educators while ensuring the effective ones remain teachers.

Teachers cannot be expected to excel in their field if they are not provided the tools needed to excel. The 29th annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher concluded that 62 percent of teachers report they felt

This claim has evidence to back it- when “McKinsey polled 900 top-tier American college students and found that 68 percent would consider teaching if salaries started at $65,000 and rose to a minimum of $150,000” (Edwards). With more and more high achieving students becoming teachers, the quality of teaching and attractiveness of the profession to top graduates increases significantly; This plan offers a solution to the rising turnover rates in America. The state of Arizona called for “increased pay for teachers and overall funding for the state” to solve their turnover rates, as thousands of teachers continue to leave the profession annually (Strauss). This will raise both the number of graduates who desire to become teachers, solving the deficit of teachers while increasing the standards of educators. However, higher payment for teachers alone is not enough to resolve the teacher shortage across the nation while simultaneously ensuring the success of the next generation. A new approach must be taken, not only to how America evaluates and motivates teachers, but also to how they are

Instead, “scores are one factor that goes into a teacher effectiveness rating, which itself is just a single factor in a much more comprehensive evaluation.” The model even offers “ additional flexibility for school districts and schools to tailor the evaluation system to their liking”, taking into account the fact that every district is different, and must be able to adjust their policies to match their needs. As the plan was implemented over the course of three years, the focus of teacher evaluations became “ aimed at shifting the culture around teacher growth and development to encourage frank conversations about teacher practice."(Duncan). As far as teacher education, teachers must not only be able to perform scholastically, but be able to transfer this knowledge to an educational setting. Secretary Arne Duncan suggests the TEACH program, a plan that “would provide more support for institutions that prepare high-quality teachers from diverse backgrounds”, as well as “reduce the reporting burden on states, but help them build an effective data and accountability system, driven by essential indicators of quality”(Duncan). Many teachers are simply not taught the importance of engaging their students for extended periods of time to encourage maximum