Jason Kamras, the 2005 Teacher of the Year and current Chief of the Office of Human Capital for the D.C. Public School System, was a guest of the Charlie Rose Show in 2008. The question was asked of him, “Why does the educational field have a hard time attracting and keeping top teachers?” Listed below are the 5 reasons per Kamras.
- There is a need for great principals. Great teachers want to work for a leader who has a great vision for their school.
- More support for teachers. The 1/2 day in-services and workshops are not cutting it. Teachers need/want more accountability and more training in order to grow.
- Stop tolerating mediocre teachers. High-performing teachers want to work with other high-performing teachers.
- Give more challenges to high-performing teachers. Great teachers should receive greater challenges and greater responsibility in leadership roles as they tackle the challenges placed before them.
- Pay teachers more AND more smartly. Not only should great teachers be paid based on merit, financial resources must be rerouted to pay teachers more in the specialized fields of Math, Science and Special Education.
Sounds like some good words from someone who knows.
