What Are Your Good Teacher Priorities? Report | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News

December 06, 2011 10:23:58 AM

Recruiting and Screening For Top Talent:

High Pay:

Good Training for Teachers Entering the System:

Small Class Size:

Hold Teachers Accountable Through Test Results:

What else goes into recruiting, evaluating, and retaining great teachers?:

I am a member of the Westport, Connecticut Public Schools Board of Education. We are a high performing school district and we discuss teacher performance, including attracting, retaining and maintaining high quality teachers on a frequent basis.

Our experience is that while pay and benefits are important, it's not all.

Of equal importance is an environment where the teachers are encouraged to perform, are provided with opportunities to grow, and peers, administrators, parents and community support the school system.

We have worked hard for many years to develop an environment of learning not only for our students, but for everyone in our town and it has worked out well for us and especially our students.

If you would like to discuss our experiences, please contact me. Mark Mathias, 203-226-1791, mark@mathias.org

When it comes to getting the best teachers possible into the system, what are your priorities? Rank the approaches below from 1-5, with 1 being your highest priority.