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

December 06, 2011 07:19:38 PM

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?:

Enthusiasm, creativity and love...especially for the littlest students. No one goes into teaching for the money, but everyone wants to be paid more.

As a mother of 5 kids who are or were in the NYC school system, it is a lot more complicated than class size and money. Money helps, small classes help, but it is not that simple.

For advanced level high school classes, have 60 kids in AP chemistry class is fine, but if you have kids attempting to learn English as a second language, you need small clases.

Elementary school is also different. In PS 149 in Jackson Heights, Queens there may be 32 kids in a 3rd grade class, but there are push in teachers to help kids struggling with reading, teachers for gym, art & music classes. It is not just the one class room teacher any more. Many schools are suffering with budget cuts, but our school with the full classes have the funds for the after school academy and the special "cluster" teachers. Yes, it would be great to have 20 kids in every class, but a school can work with larger classes if the teacher has support. Most elementary school teachers have all sorts of "special" teachers that come in and help during the day giving the kids who need support that indiviual touch and offering the enrichment classes that are the first to be dropped when the budget is cut.

I have to say that I am very happy with the education my childrens have received in NYC public schools.

Nuala from Jackson Heights

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.