Yes, there's probably some innate talent that makes some better than others, like being good at hitting a fastball. But I can't believe the gap can't be narrowed significantly. And make sure kids don't get inferior teachers two years in a row. Given the pressure Sanders has placed on teachers, it's no surprise that his critics range from the skeptical to the hostile. Mance doesn't quarrel with Sanders' value-added approach but rather with his assertion that statistical methods can accurately measure the quality of learning and teaching.
People love numbers.
I love numbers. It would be great if we could rate everything 1 through 10. But we're dealing with human systems that don't fit into such a neat pattern. TennesseeEducation Commissioner Jane Walters also has clashed with Sanders on several fronts. Last year she tried to eliminate funding for the reports that zero in on teachers, arguing that schoolwide scores were sufficient.