Teaching & Learning

When Bob Chase, the president of the National Education Association, and Arlene Ackerman, the superintendent of the District of Columbia public schools, were asked at a forum to name their prescriptions for fixing education, they suggested the same remedy: high-quality teachers.

The two leaders appeared together last week at a luncheon sponsored by Women in Washington, a nonprofit organization that helps women network and support community causes. They were joined by Penny Shaw, a high school art teacher in nearby Fairfax County, Va.

Both Mr. Chase and Ms. Ackerman agreed that teachers' pay must be raised to attract and retain qualified people, particularly at a time when other sectors of the economy are thriving and offering young people...