Back to School

In addition to the ideas featured in this week's Ampolo video, we received several other thoughtful suggestions for improving education:

From Robin: "Smaller class size! My daughter is in a high school with 3,000 kids, and it's so easy to fall through the cracks that way, especially if you're a student that's 'no trouble.'"

From Libby: "Require every student to speak English; teach diagramming sentences and grammar; reward teachers and teachers’ unions for flunking students; make remedial/summer help required in order to advance.

From Alan: "Pay more money to teachers."

From Chuck: "Extranet sites filled with school news where teachers can post homework assignments, students can communicate with each other, and selected outside contributors can add content."

And from Bob: "I believe the key to establishing a quality education system throughout the country begins with quality teachers. Currently I don't see any correlation between what school districts spend on their teaching staffs and the teachers' performance. The longer a teacher works, the more the teacher is paid. This formula doesn't work, especially in the districts that need quality teachers the most. There's no incentive.

"Teachers' compensation should be tied to teaching results. Base initial salaries on a measurable, weighted formula, including school location, skills, etc. After one year, add test score results to the formula. In addition, bonuses should be paid to reward a particular school, programs within a school, a group of teachers, etc. By incentivizing teachers with higher salaries for performance, the higher paid teachers would be less likely to leave the schools they're currently at, including high need, inner city schools. The result would be retaining and adding quality teachers at the schools that need them most. Because teachers are paid according to a formula, if their results diminish, their salaries are reduced. If they fall below a certain formula guideline, they should be moved out and replaced. Finally, if they fall below a minimum standard, they should not be retained."

Thanks to all. We welcome more comments.