Leaving No Child Behind

No factor in a school matters more to the academic success of children than the quality of the teachers and principal. To close the achievement gap, we must close the teacher-quality gap. Too often, it's the least qualified and least experienced who teach poor and minority children.

First, we must require that states and school districts distribute the best teachers equitably across schools. In the past, the federal government has only paid lip service to equitable distribution.

More important, we need to support teachers to help them continuously grow in the profession and increase the supply of excellent teachers in all schools. Last week, Congress took a step in this direction by approving funding for scholarships for excellent undergraduate students who commit to teaching in high-need public schools.

We should also build career ladders that reward teachers for gaining new knowledge and for taking on leadership roles in their schools. We should assist principals through instruction in management and the use of data to help their schools succeed. And teachers and principals who excel deserve a raise. While respecting collective bargaining agreements, we should offer performance pay to hardworking and talented teachers based on fair, proven and objective criteria. When school districts collaborate with local teachers unions, performance pay systems work -- and children benefit.

If we don't treat teachers as valued partners in our public schools, we'll continue to face an unacceptable teacher shortage, and children will pay the price.

George Miller

The writer, a Democratic representative from California, is chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

No Child Left Behind's greatest strength is that it has institutionalized high expectations for every child in America. To claim success, a school must prove that all of its children -- including its low-income, minority and special education students and those who speak English as a second language -- are achieving at high levels. This shift in expectations is a vital first step toward closing the achievement gap.

The law's greatest weakness is that it focuses too much on teacher qualifications and not enough on teacher effectiveness. Educators must ensure that every child in this nation has the opportunity to learn from an instructor who has proven skills, as verified by student achievement data. I cannot claim to be a good teacher simply because I have a master's in education, two licenses and eight years of experience. I can claim to be a good teacher only if the data demonstrate that my students have learned.

Jason Kamras