Richard Whitmire: Why top teachers work at great charters – NY Daily News.
Interesting discussion of the importance of teacher quality, below are some quotes:
Based on the revolving-door staffing history at that school, the real lesson from that school closure is this: The UFT school had all the advantages of operating like a charter. But there was one thing the union couldn’t supply: world class principals and teachers. Teacher and principal quality mean everything. Improving that quality is what Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking, and it appears to be the one thing the unions can’t provide. . . .
I’ve spent the last two years visiting top charter schools, from California to Massachusetts. The best charters, those that are wringing roughly a year-and-a-half of academic growth out of every school year, have different teaching styles, school hours, homework policies and discipline practices. But they share one common attribute: They successfully recruit America’s best and brightest.