Brookings: Topics - Teachers

The Scouting Report: Education Policy Challenges in America

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 02, 2009, 12:30 PM to 1:30

On Wednesday, September 2, Brookings expert Russ Whitehurst, who directs the Brown Center for Education at Brookings, and Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico, took questions on American education policy.

The "Golden Age" of American Education

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Education reformers are grappling with difficult, ideologically charged questions on how to improve the United States education system. But these debates have deep historical roots. Tom Loveless joins the Kojo Nnamdi Show to examine the great historical debates in American education and the myths about the golden era of American education.

A New Goal for America’s High Schools: College Preparation for All

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In this policy brief, a companion to the volume of The Future of Children devoted to high school reforms, Ron Haskins and James Kemple examine the steps high schools should take to help low-income students prepare for and succeed in college. Specifically, they argue, high schools should boost students’ subject matter knowledge and study skills and counsel students on how to select colleges and obtain financial aid.

Innovation in Education: Invest in What Works

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorized the Secretary of Education to establish a $650 million Innovation Fund to expand the work of schools that have made gains in closing achievement gaps. With growing discussion and considerable money heading in the direction of innovation, Russ Whitehurst provides recommendations on how the Department of Education should evaluate successful programs.

Obama's Education Policy

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

President Obama spoke about implementing the merit pay system for teachers as well as expanding charter schools in a effort to reform the education system in the United States. Brown Center Director Russ Whitehurst joined Politico's Jonathan Martin and CBS News’ Bob Schieffer on Washington Unplugged to talk about the politics behind Obama's education policy and how it would affect our education system.

The President’s Education Agenda

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Russ Whitehurst assesses President Obama's education speech and applauds his commitment to regaining our international lead in education by addressing the "crazy quilt of state standards and assessments." But, he argues, "the proposal to provide incentives to states that improve their standards is a far weaker prescription than is desirable or politically possible."

Russ Whitehurst Named Director of the Brown Center on Education

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:26:45 GMT

Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst, director of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, is joining the Brookings Institution as senior fellow in Governance Studies and director of the Brown Center on Education, Brookings President Strobe Talbott announced.

Policy Implications of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Final Report

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As a member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, Tom Loveless discusses the policy implications of the Panel's findings at the federal, state, district, and school levels, including recommendations related to state standards, curriculum frameworks, and assessments.

Standards-Based Reform and the Poverty Gap: Lessons for No Child Left Behind

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 22, 2007, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

At an event hosted by the Brown Center on Education Policy, authors of a new volume examined whether No Child Left Behind is enhancing educational opportunities for our most disadvantaged students.

Albert Shanker’s Liberal Legacy

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 16, 2007, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Richard Kahlenberg tells the story of the founder of the American Federation of Teachers in his new book. On October 16th, Kahlenberg was joined by Brookings’s E. J. Dionne, Jr. and others for a discussion of Shanker’s legacy

Identifying Effective Teachers Using Performance on the Job

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Traditionally, policymakers have attempted to improve the quality of the teaching force by raising minimum credentials for entering teachers. Recent research, however, suggests that such paper qualifications have little predictive power in identifying effective teachers. We propose federal support to help states measure the effectiveness of individual teachers—based on their impact on student achievement, subjective evaluations by principals and peers, and parental evaluations. States would be given considerable discretion to develop their own measures, as long as student achievement impacts (using so-called "value-added" measures) are a key component. The federal government would pay for bonuses to highly rated teachers willing to teach in high-poverty schools. In return for federal support, schools would not be able to offer tenure to new teachers who receive poor evaluations during their first two years on the job without obtaining district approval and informing parents in the schools. States would open further the door to teaching for those who lack traditional certification but can demonstrate success on the job. This approach would facilitate entry into teaching by those pursuing other careers. The new measures of teacher performance would also provide key data for teachers and schools to use in their efforts to improve their performance.

The Role of Professional Development in Creating High Quality Preschool Education

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Paper by Martha Zaslow, Kathryn Tout, and Kelly Maxwell, Prepared for the Conference ?Creating a National Plan for the Education of 4-Year-Olds,"" (9/10/04)

Conflicting Missions? : Teachers Unions and Educational Reform

Wed, 26 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

This volume provides a clear, balanced analysis of the role of teachers unions in encouraging, implementing, and/or stifling reform in U.S. public schools.

Teachers Unions: Do They Help or Hurt Education Reform?

Tue, 11 Apr 2000 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 11, 2000 at 10:00 AM

Lesson Plan for Teachers

Mon, 10 Aug 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Diane Ravitch, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Post, August 10, 1998