Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

For Quality, Give Teachers Role in Curriculum Reform

November 27, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

The McKinsey & Co. report “How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top” was described well in your article “Teachers Seen as Making Difference in World’s Top Schools” (Nov. 7, 2007). The report argues for the importance of teacher quality, saying, “The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”

Teacher quality, however, is a necessary but insufficient condition for an effective education system; teachers also need to be delivering their part of a coherent pre-K-16 curriculum. Even great teachers will be ineffective, and frustrated, if they teach curricula that are inconsistent with what came before or what will come after.

Both issues can be addressed by making teachers integral to curriculum reform, promoting coherence while attracting stronger individuals to teaching. Making teachers the central players would raise their level of respect, a focus of this report.

Programs that promote teacher leadership and effectiveness while empowering teachers to drive the reform of education are the key to continuous improvement. Meaningful communication and consensus building among teachers at all grade levels are essential to this process.

Robert Goodman

Ridgewood, N.J.

A version of this article appeared in the November 28, 2007 edition of Education Week as For Quality, Give Teachers Role in Curriculum Reform

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Trending Education News
How well do you know the trending news in education? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.