Top-Notch Teacher

I think this article states the obvious…teachers work hard/better when they have something to prove. The idea of merit-pay I think needs to have a roll in how teachers gain tenure (if at all) and how schools gain academic excellence. Having a worked in the business sector prior to entering the teaching field, the reality of learning from and growing from the best around you is a simple idea that if finally being looked at in education.
If you can pair a good new teacher and a good veteran, the student achievement should go through the roof. If you pair an average new teacher and a good veteran, you should see the teacher and the students grow academically. Veteran teachers with burnout can become invigorated by good new teachers.
I disagree with the statement about mentoring not being effective. Mentoring programs can help new teachers in more than one way. If you are only looking at numbers, you’re not going to find anything. You have to look at the bigger picture…who was the mentor, was this a reason the new teacher left, did they have the full support needed? So many factors are involved in why new teachers leave and how they affect student learning that you can’t pass out a survey and get a correct response.
I believe that merit pay, induction programs, and mentoring should all be factors in creating top-notch teachers. Each plays an important role in increasing student achievement, teacher growth, and successful schools.