Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

To Raise PISA Scores, We Must Support Teachers

December 15, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

The 2009 results from the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, show average scores in reading, science, and math for American students (“U.S. Rises to International Average in Science,” Education Week, Dec. 7, 2010). These findings are another wake-up call that the status quo is no longer acceptable. The United States built the greatest economy in history by leading the world in education. If we want to reclaim that position, we must lead the way again and adopt proven policies that will move us forward.

Before rushing to judgment about the next steps needed to improve our schools, we should look at comparable, successful nations and try to learn from their experience. Examining the PISA results in more detail gives an intriguing insight into how other nations boost student learning and performance and underscores the importance of elevating the teaching profession.

Canada, ranked in the top five on PISA, has strengthened teacher preparation, raised salaries, and given teachers more autonomy to be instructional leaders. Canada’s policymakers significantly increased professional development and welcomed teachers as partners in reform. Meanwhile, U.S. practitioners fend off efforts to deprofessionalize teaching, with repeated calls for shortcut routes into the classroom and limiting pay for advanced degrees. And our teachers are subject to prescriptive mandates like the No Child Left Behind Act that limit instruction to basic-level skills.

Teacher professionalism matters. In a report on international examples of successful education systems, the global firm McKinsey & Co. found they are “characterized by more highly skilled educators (and) provide only loose guidelines on teaching and learning processes because peer-led creativity and innovation inside schools becomes the core driver for raising performance at this level.”

We need to focus on what leading countries are doing to improve public education, and take an honest look at the respect and support that we give to our nation’s teacher corps.

Dennis Van Roekel

President

National Education Association

Washington, D.C.

A version of this article appeared in the January 12, 2011 edition of Education Week

Events

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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Teaching Students to Use Artificial Intelligence Ethically
Ready to embrace AI in your classroom? Join our master class to learn how to use AI as a tool for learning, not a replacement.
Content provided by Solution Tree
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
Teaching Webinar
Empowering Students Using Computational Thinking Skills
Empower your students with computational thinking. Learn how to integrate these skills into your teaching and boost student engagement.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
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
IT Infrastructure & Management Webinar
The Reality of Change: How Embracing and Planning for Change Can Shape Your Edtech Strategy
Promethean edtech experts delve into the reality of tech change and explore how embracing and planning for it can be your most powerful strategy for maximizing ROI.
Content provided by Promethean

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 Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Dec. 5, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Nov. 26, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Education Briefly Stated: October 23, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: October 2, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read