Attention, Gates: Here's What Makes a Great Teacher

10 Qualities of an Effective Educator

By James D. Starkey

Here are the first two paragraphs of a story that appeared in my local paper, The Denver Post , in the fall:

“In a quest to find out the best teaching practices, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $45 million to six school districts, including Denver, for a two-year study of teaching.

“The Measures of Effective Teaching project will examine the work of 3,700 teachers from across the country, using videotapes, surveys, and student assessments to figure out what...