[originaltext]M: It’s a simple question at the center of almost any discussion

M: It’s a simple question at the center of almost any discussion on education reform. What makes a good teacher? But the answers are many and often complex, and the question can lead to debates over exactly how and how often teachers should be evaluated on their job performance. At the front lines of this debate are charter schools, the fastest-growing sector of American education, with 2 million students now enrolled in more than 5,000 such institutions across the U.S. Today we have with us Dacia Toll, CEO of Achievement First, a network of 22 charters along the East Coast serving mainly low-income minority students. Achievement First has developed a comprehensive checklist to evaluate its teachers.
W: In the past, teacher evaluation has focused on observations, which, at their worst, become staged dog and pony show experiences that don’t actually tell you a lot about teachers’ effectiveness or even more importantly how they need to improve. The teaching model at Achievement First is different from the teaching model at most other schools in terms of the way the lessons are set up. So, it is extremely beneficial initially because teachers can get immediate feedback.
M: Can teachers get feedback every day?
W: Yes, teachers here find out every day how effectively they have taught a lesson with short quizzes called exit tickets. Students are required to take one at the end of each class to measure their level of comprehension. But test scores and the results of classroom observations are not the only factors here that determine the quality of a teacher.
M: So what are the other factors?
W: We have parent, student, peer and principal surveys, so the teacher is really getting a whole 360 take on what they are doing well and what they need to improve.
M: A large part of the Achievement First plan to keep excellent teachers and those with potential to become great is the teacher career pathway.
W: Yes, it’s a model designed to place classroom educators into five career stages depending on experience and classroom effectiveness, beginning at intern and concluding at master teacher. Reaching the fifth and final stage would bring a significant pay increase, although exact compensation figures are still being worked out. The goal is to encourage teachers to stay in the classroom, rather than move toward administrative jobs with higher salaries. We have got to improve student outcomes. And in order to do that, we have got to attract and retain very talented people, as our teachers—as our international competitors have done. And we think a big part of that is saying, you can make this a meaningful, rewarding career.
M: That’s right.
This is the end of Conversation Two. Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.
6. How many students are there in charter schools?
7. Who take the majority of Achievement First students?
8. How does Achievement First teaching model differ from those of the other schools?
9. How will teachers be evaluated in Achievement First?
10. Why would excellent teachers be willing to teach rather than be an administrator?