Urban school boards have struggled for years to improve the diversity of their teaching staffs, so students will have
at least some teachers who look like them.
The big issue was how student test scores would be used to
judge at least some teachers a sore point not just in New Jersey, but nationwide.
If your school has a robust project - based program, or
at least the teachers your students had last year did a lot of PBL, starting your class with a project sends a message to students: let's get right to it, this is how we learn here.
This fall, many schools that have received funds are replacing principals, and
at least some teachers, in an effort to reverse what are in some cases cultures of failure.
Of course, even then, school was far from perfect, but
at least the teachers — and usually the principal — knew every student by name, something that is increasingly rare today.
At least MY teachers weren't.