A Quality Teacher in Every Classroom: An Evaluation System that Works for California

The dire state of education funding in California and across the nation means we must be smarter than ever about how we use our resources. Since teacher quality has emerged as one of the most powerful variables in student success, the focus of policy reform must be on building the capacity of our teachers—now and in the future—to meet the challenges our schools face. The urgency of the task of improving teacher quality holds both opportunity and peril. Getting reform right must, of necessity, include attending to the knowledge and experience of teachers themselves and not succumbing to quick-fix reforms accompanied by one-time infusions of money.