The retention of elementary general music teachers is of primary concern to the music education community. Teachers complete four years of college with additional coursework or masters degrees to improve and enhance their teaching expertise. With increased amounts of time and money involved in the training of these music teaching professionals,…

The "Guide to National Board Certification" introduces teachers to the assessment process and provides them with useful information as they apply for National Board Certification or order the "Take One![R]" professional development kit. By participating in the National Board Certification process, participants are joining tens of thousands of…

American educational leaders seek to educate children (regardless of race, class, or economic status) to become productive citizens. In order for our country to compete with other countries where students are well educated and highly motivated, we need to ensure that our educational system is equipped with the technology and tools that would allow…

The literature on competency-based human resource (HR) management provides a strong case for moving from a jobs-based to a competency-based approach to human resources. There is agreement in the literature (Dubois, Rothwell, Stern, & Kemp, 2004; Lucia & Lepsinger, 1999) on the benefits of using competencies throughout HR systems and impact…

Under the 1998 reauthorization of Title II of the Higher Education Act, the secretary of education is required to issue annual reports to Congress on the state of teacher quality nationwide. "Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge" is the inaugural report on this important issue. The 1998 reauthorization also established a…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) Meeting of the Minds: The Parent-Teacher Conference Is the Cornerstone of School-Home Relations. How Can It Work for All Families? (Laura Pappano); (2) In Search of That "Third…

This research study evaluated the achievement of students who were taught by traditionally certified teachers with students who were taught by alternatively certified teachers or those seeking certification through an alternative certification program. The primary purpose of the study was to examine significant differences, if any, in student…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics articulates an ambitious vision of a high-quality mathematics program. Achieving this vision requires competent and knowledgeable teachers who can support all students in learning mathematics concepts with understanding. Effective mathematics teachers are especially needed for high-poverty schools…

A group (n = 170) of inner-city, predominantly African American, health clinic patients were asked to identify the characteristics they desired in a new clinic health educator. A plurality (44%) of the patients perceived a bachelor's degree would be a sufficient level of education. The vast majority of patients claimed the sex of the health…

Teachers in South Africa deal with the remnants of an inherited education system based on segregation and exclusion of particular groups of students. While the previous practices of segregation resided within the context of racial groupings, exclusionary practices related to disabilities, academic abilities, and language competence are evident…

One of the most publicly celebrated figures in mathematics teaching during the last century was Jaime Escalante (dramatized in the film "Stand and Deliver"). The Escalante story aptly fulfills three prevailing myths about effective teachers: the Teacher is self-made, the Teacher is the expert, and everything depends on the Teacher. These…

This article explores the relationship between service-learning and the scientifically-based research clause of the No Child Left Behind Act. It reviews the state of the service-learning literature base with regard to academic achievement, and provides specific strategies in which service-learning can be used under the guise of No Child Left…

It is no longer news that the U.S. is becoming a more diverse nation and will someday have a nonwhite majority, with students from many language backgrounds. They will arrive at school with great skill disparities, and the nation's future will depend on how effectively schools and teachers respond. Professional learning for teachers will need to…

The images of fat professors encountered in popular culture are few in number and negative in depiction. In this article, the author discusses on how will the professorial body affect the way in which students perceive the professor's teaching abilities. The author concludes that bias against fat professors, professors of color, and other…

The specification of various categories of knowledge that teachers should possess has been a historically consistent feature of moves to professionalize school teaching and to argue for individual teachers' professional autonomy. In this article, I suggest that the ways in which subject knowledge has been treated in research-based recipes for…