Teacher quality is currently a topic of high interest.
It is essential that teachers have the appropriate subject-matter preparation for the areas they teach. The good news is that we know more than ever about the qualities of teacher professional development that contribute to high levels of learning for all students. The bad news is that few teachers experience this type of professional learning on a regular basis. School boards have a central role to play in the creation of powerful professional development programs. The most effective forms of professional development deepen teachers' understanding of the content they teach and provide them with a variety of instructional strategies to successfully teach an increasingly diverse student population.