Teachers Matter Rethinking How Public Schools Identify, Reward, and Retain Great Educators
212-599-7000
About the Book
Most of us have had at least one amazing teacher who inspired, influenced, or encouraged us to do better, aim higher, or just be more confident. However, most of us have also had at least one teacher whose lackluster performance in the classroom contributed to an academic setback. In Teachers Matter, Marcus A. Winters, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argues that our failure to identify and reward high-quality teachers has been devastating for public school students. The question is, how do we sort out the good teachers from the bad? Winters shows the shortcomings of the current system, which relies on credentials and longevity, and spells out a series of reforms based on results achieved in the classroom. For the first time, standardized test results offer an objective, reliable measure of student proficiency that can be tied to an individual teacher. Sure to be controversial, Winters’s plan will be of interest to the education community, policy makers, and parents concerned about the future of education in America.
About the Author
Marcus A. Winters is senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and assistant professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. His research has appeared in several academic journals, including Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Education Finance and Policy, and Economics of Education Review. In addition, his articles and op-eds have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, LA Times, New York Post, City Journal, and National Review.
Media
REVIEWS
Jay P. Greene, Jay P. Greene's Blog, January 2012
My friend and colleague, Marcus Winters, has a new book out on how to improve the quality of the teaching workforce. Teachers Matter is an excellent summary of the literature on how best to recruit, train, and motivate teachers. It's a must-read for anyone interested in merit pay, credentialing, and teacher evaluation. It's a particularly good book to assign for classes that cover these subjects. Check it out.
Winters explains the faults found in the current system and shows examples of how a new system would work to make sure that our children's teachers would be the best they could be and give our children the basis they need to succeed in an ever changing world. His revolutionary ideas on teacher retention and training should become the basis of our school systems, in order to help the United states boast the best schools systems in the world.
INTERVIEWS
An Interview with Marcus Winters: Teachers Matter!, Education News, Michael Shaughnessy, 2-1-12
Q: In your latest book, Teachers Matter, you indicate that our failure to identify and reward high quality teachers has been problematic. What first got you interested in this area?
A: I'm interested in reforming the relationship between public schools and their teachers because it is the most promising course for ensuring that all students receive a high quality education. When we think about how to improve schooling, a great place to start is by considering the most important factor within a school's control for producing student achievement. Empirical research over the last two decades has confirmed our suspicion that teachers are that essential element. The research also shows us that there is wide variation in the quality of teachers, which means that we have a lot of room for improvement in this important area. . .
ARTICLES
Let a Thousand Teachers Bloom, The Weekly Standard, 03-19-12
How To Read the Teacher Data Reports, New York Daily News, 02-27-12
Evaluation Deal A Win For NYC's Kids, New York Post, 2-17-12
Firing Bad Apples, New York Post, 2-6-12
Rewarding Great Teachers Just Makes Good Sense, Washington Examiner, 1-31-12
How's My Teaching?, City Journal Online, 1-20-12
Face It, teacher Quality Matters, New York Daily News, 01-16-12
Just Rewards For Teachers, Los Angeles Times, 10-03-11
RADIO
WHO Radio's "Mickelson in the Morning," 1-31-12
TELEVISION
WSJ.com's "Opinion Journal: Grading Teachers," 1-31-12
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Marcus Winters discusses his new book "Teachers Matter" on how to sort out good teachers from the bad.
Marcus Winters on FOX 5's "Good Day New York," 1-31-12
EVENTS
December 13, 2011 | New York City
CENTER FOR STATE AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP FORUM
PRESENTATION
Moderator: Michael Allegretti, Director, Center for State and Local Leadership
Speaker: Marcus Winters, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute
VIDEO
PANEL DISCUSSION
Panelists: Seth Andrew, Founder and Superintendent, Democracy Prep Public Schools; Christopher Cerf, Commissioner, New Jersey, Department of Education; Evan Stone, Founder, Educators4Excellence
VIDEO
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Speakers: Michael Allegretti, Director, Center for State and Local Leadership
Joel Klein, Former Chancellor, New York City, Department of Education
VIDEO