We sometimes forget that 'publish' simply means 'make public,' and the reason it is prized is that it is only through making public that we can influence knowledge, understanding and practice. Making public is the means, not the end. The end is to improve knowledge, understanding and practice. The responsibility of an excellent teacher to 'make public' must show itself not only in the classroom but beyond. The ways in which it might show itself will be various.
Faculty can sort through the possibilities and come to consensus in their own departments.
That they must show themselves as excellent teachers through 'making public,' however, must first be debated and affirmed. But it is this expectation for teaching excellence at research universities that is almost never offered up for questioning. This should be as much a feature of the undergraduate educational experience as it is for graduate and post-doctoral students. There are several benefits to be gained by recasting questions about the place of teaching in research universities in this way. First, of course, it frames the discussion in our terms, allowing us to take control of the debate and lead its resolution.