For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, you might have missed the most important story to American culture since, well, apparently ever.
The Bay State's Secretary of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are planning to review the Bay State's teacher licensing regulations and tests. About time!
Lots of changes need to be made, based on what we know from good research. The 2008 final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP) found credible research on only one characteristic of an effective teacher: knowledge of the subject they teach. The more academically competent teachers are, the stronger the school curriculum and the more students learn.
