Inside — and Beyond — the Teacher Evaluation Debate

In a February 20, 2012 New York Times article entitled, “States Try to Fix Quirks in Teacher Evaluations,” Tennessee’s new teacher evaluations figured prominently. The Times reporter traveled across TN, interviewing state leaders, principals, teachers – all who described the promise, pitfalls, and potential to improve teacher quality with an evaluation framework that expands dramatically…

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Cultural Change and the Income Achievement Gap

“Poverty is not a learning disability,” declared Pedro Noguera of New York University during a recent guest lecture at Vanderbilt. His presentation on economic influences on student achievement advocated a community-wide focus to improving schools and educational outcomes for students in predominately low-income areas. Although he oriented much of his discussion around models in urban…

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