Teachers Series
A special WBUR series.
Education Commissioner: You Can't Divorce Test Scores And Teacher Effectiveness
To wrap our series, we asked Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester about proposed new teacher evaluation regulations and whether evaluations should be linked to student test scores.
'Compensate Debate' Could Follow New Teacher Evaluations
Teachers' salaries are not linked to their performance; they are linked to how long they've been on the job and their level of education. But would higher paid teachers make...
In Teacher Evaluations, Students Seek Their Say
The Boston Student Advisory Council is lobbying to make student feedback part of the teacher evaluation process.
Special WBUR Event: Is Good Teaching Teachable?
As part of our “Making An A+ Teacher” series, WBUR is hosting a live discussion at our Boston studios Thursday from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. The topic: is good teaching...
Teacher Of The Year: Wall Street No Preparation To Manage A Classroom
Sharon Hessney dumped her Wall Street job to teach high school students in the Boston public schools. Last year, she received a Presidential Award for Excellence in math and science...
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Teachers Eye Coaches, Collaboration To Improve Their Teaching
Are great teachers born with the gift or can we teach great teaching? We hear about strategies some experts use to hone the teaching craft.
Aspiring Educator Learns Nothing Prepares You For Teaching Like Teaching
Christine Dunn is one of the educators of the future. And she’s finding out that once you have a classroom of your own, all that academic theory can quickly go...
Teacher: Problem Students Can Hold The Class Back
It seems impossible to ignore the fact that the students a teacher has in his or her class are likely to make a huge difference in that teacher's ability to...
Despite Bad Grades, Many Boston Teachers Stay In Class
In our series, we’ve been examining what makes a teacher good. But what about bad teachers? Unfortunately some failing teachers are left in the classroom, especially in Boston Public Schools.
One Town Says MCAS Is Misguided In Evaluating Teachers
The state Board of Education has decided that student performance on the MCAS has to be a significant component of how teachers are evaluated. The town of Hingham is not...
Uncertain Test Score Evaluation System Worries Teachers
Over the next three years the Massachusetts teacher evaluation system will change significantly. The most controversial element requires using student test scores to rate teachers.
Teach For America Studies What Makes Great Teachers Great
WBUR speaks to Steven Farr, who's written a book about Teach For America's findings after studying traits common to successful teachers. He explains why it's so hard to pinpoint what...
Making An A+ Teacher
During the week of May 23, WBUR broadcasts a series exploring how teacher salary, training, personality and evaluations can play a role in making a great teacher.
What Makes A Good Teacher?
More and more research shows that teacher quality is the most important factor in learning. But what makes a good teacher? A good teacher has to be a social worker,...
Chalk Talk: What Makes A Great Teacher?
We hear from teachers, students and others — including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan — about the qualities they say reign supreme when it comes to the makings of...
Map: Mass. Teacher Salaries; Per Pupil Expenditures; MCAS Scores
This interactive map shows a district-by-district comparison of average teacher salaries, per pupil expenditures and MCAS scores for K-12 schools in Massachusetts.