Why Can’t We Raise Academic Requirements for K-12 Teachers?

There is one good reason that the most recent review of research on teacher professional development in mathematics in the USA almost uniformly finds it ineffective:  It doesn't lead to student gains. The majority of our K-12 teachers were in the bottom third of their academic cohort in college, particularly those who became pre-school and elementary teachers, and they were typically not high achievers in high school, either. This does not describe teachers in high-achieving countries. Does it m

There is one good reason that the most recent review of research on teacher professional development in mathematics in the USA almost uniformly finds it ineffective:  It doesn't lead to student gains. The majority of our K-12 teachers were in the bottom third of their academic cohort in college, particularly those who became pre-school and elementary teachers, and they were typically not high achievers in high school, either. This does not describe teachers in high-achieving countries. Does it m…