Good teachers are hard to find, but that could be changing thanks to an experimental program in Los Angeles. Last year, the program graduated 60 teachers, including 44 who now work in Northeast San Fernando Valley schools.
Good teachers are a rare commodity.
By next year, the Los Angeles Unified School District must hire 3,500 to 4,000 new teachers to keep up with growth. But the problem is more complex than just a lack of teachers. Many of the principals who were interviewed for a survey on high-performing schools said that the nation's schools of education are failing to train good teachers. The word on the street from experienced principals is that teachers coming straight out of university teacher-preparation programs don't know how to teach. It's all theory and no practical application.