This mini-course looks in-depth at modern-day issues surrounding teacher policies in U.S. education.
The teacher is the most important person in our schools. How do we recruit and retain the very best teachers? What are our current methods for recruiting teachers? How well do we compensate them? What are the effects of adjusting teacher salaries to be based on their performance in the classroom? When should teachers be given tenure? Do current policies encourage or discourage effective teachers from entering the profession?
Many questions come down to budgetary constraints. Should you hire more teachers so you have smaller classes? Should it be a priority to balance how much is spent between wealthy and poor districts?
Throughout this mini-course, we will be focused on using empirical evidence to answer these questions.
This mini-course contains six lectures, with most lectures divided into three videos. The mini-courses also include assigned readings, discussion forums, and assessments.
This is the second mini-course in a four-course sequence.
- Mini-Course 1: History and Politics of U.S. Education
- Mini-Course 2: Teacher Policies
- Mini-Course 3: Accountability and National Standards
- Mini-Course 4: School Choice
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