Behind the Headlines: Obama calls for end of ‘firewall’ rules that shield teachers

By Education Next 11/05/2009

On Top of the News
Obama calls for end of ‘firewall’ rules that shield teachers
11/05/09 | Los Angeles Times

Behind the Headline
In Low-Income Schools, Parents Want Teachers Who Teach
Summer 2007 | Education Next

In a speech at a school in Wisconsin yesterday, President Obama insisted that schools need to be able to judge teachers based on student performance. In a study published in Ed Next in 2007, Brian Jacob and Lars Lefgren investigated whether student test scores are the academic outcome parents value most. They found that, in low-income schools, parents do most value a teacher’s ability to raise student achievement. However, in wealthier schools, parents most value a teacher’s ability to keep students happy.