Dive Brief:
- A Huffington Post column analyzes lessons that can be learned from education practices abroad.
- Shayna A. Pitre, a legal assistant and writer, uses points made in "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: An American Agenda for Education Reform" to make education recommendations.
- According to the book, countries with successful education systems have the following: highly trained teachers, better pay for educators, more focus on problem-solving and individual inquiry, and the use of gateway tests instead of annual standardized tests.
Dive Insight:
While America constantly talks about the need to employ more rigorous standards for teacher certification, not much has changed to make this happen. If anything, signs indicate that we may be become more lax. This week Indiana announced an initiative that would allow people who have worked for three-years to become licensed to teach their profession — sans rigorous training.
In terms of teacher pay, it has become common knowledge that America's teachers are not generally raking in the dough. Despite the U.S. spending more than any other country on education, the nation's average teacher salary has risen only $3,454 since 1970.
While the states have begun talking more about the need for critical thinking, arguing that the Common Core places emphasis on rigor and higher order thinking skills, critics remain wary of the high stakes we place on standardized tests. This emphasis leaves some fearing that critical thinking will come secondary to teaching to the test. Gateway tests are tests given at education milestones — every few years, as opposed to the annual schedule America currently adheres to. While some in Congress have pushed for this model, it is unlikely to find widespread approval as some activists argue that less testing means more minority students will slip through the cracks.