the teachers' lounge.

TEACHERS; EDUCATION; TEACHERS -- Salaries, etc.; TEACHERS -- Training of; EDUCATION -- Study & teaching; TEACHER recruitment; MCCOURT, Frank, 1930-2009; TEACHER Man (Book)

The article discusses the Teaching Commission's report "Teaching at Risk: Progress & Potholes," and its recommendations for teacher recruiting and preparation. The author uses the book "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt to discuss teacher compensation and "value-added" teacher assessments. The author believes that teacher preparation programs and education departments at universities and colleges need to be improved. The author believes that the quality of mind and character a teacher brings to the job, and not just teacher preparation, are influential in student learning.