Letters: Put good teaching in every classroom

A Jan. 19 column suggested that a response to the Abbeville school adequacy decision should be to put a “good” teacher in every classroom.

Setting aside the teacher shortage and the facts that pay and bonuses rarely attract teachers and the teachers not in those poor schools are not necessarily less than “good” teachers, here is a suggestion:

Teaching goes far beyond one teacher in front of 30 students. Teaching is complicated, and it requires ongoing learning and preparation, resources and especially support and time to make good instruction happen. Good teaching is made; teachers are not born good teachers.

This is more likely to be supported in “better” schools, where the community demands it. When it happens, kids learn more, and teachers are more easily attracted and retained.

Other countries focus on teaching, the whole process from selecting and preparing teachers to supporting teaching and learning.

As we try to make all of our schools better, let’s focus on putting good teaching in every classroom, instead of making teachers the only players.