"most urban school districts are staffed with a high percentage of people that have no business anywhere close to a classroom, let alone actually teaching in it."
It is even more dire that than. The pool of teacher candidates is already compromised since the students pursuing education majors are already the poorest performing of any other college major. Even discounting for the worst performers never completing the degree and licensing requirements, we are generally not talking about a group that is blazing any intellectual trails. Then once a teacher secures a position, there is little incentive for a teacher to improve on the job. Nearly every other job would require some amount for ongoing training, but in education that is rarely implemented.
Teacher quality starts with making the field attractive to more higher performing students. That only happens if the field provides incentives to reward excellence and hard work, and the current arrangement just does not do that. It rewards mediocrity.
The mean Critical Reading score was 501. Education majors scored 481.
The mean Mathematics score was 516. Education majors scored 486.
The mean Writing score was 492. Education majors scored 477.
Results directly from a report from the College Board.
It is even more dire that than. The pool of teacher candidates is already compromised since the students pursuing education majors are already the poorest performing of any other college major. Even discounting for the worst performers never completing the degree and licensing requirements, we are generally not talking about a group that is blazing any intellectual trails. Then once a teacher secures a position, there is little incentive for a teacher to improve on the job. Nearly every other job would require some amount for ongoing training, but in education that is rarely implemented.
Teacher quality starts with making the field attractive to more higher performing students. That only happens if the field provides incentives to reward excellence and hard work, and the current arrangement just does not do that. It rewards mediocrity.