Kudos to my favorite US Senator, Colorado's Michael Bennet:

My time as superintendent of Denver Public Schools taught me there isn't a more difficult or important job than being a teacher.

Unfortunately, our current system for training and supporting teachers and principals is falling short, especially in high-need schools.

To help turn this around I've introduced a bill called the GREAT Act to establish high quality training academies for teachers and principals. These academies will emphasize hands-on classroom experience, with graduation tied to actually improving student academic achievement.

From the beginning, this approach puts the focus where it should be: on results and accountability, instead of burdensome regulations that don't have anything to do with learning.

Our children are counting on us to find common sense solutions like this. You can help build support today by talking with your friends and family -- make sure they realize teachers and principals are the key to academic achievement.

Working together I'm confident we can transform our schools and give students the opportunities they deserve.

Sincerely,

Michael Bennet
U.S. Senator

P.S. Here are a couple articles I thought you'd find interesting to learn more about training academies and the GREAT Act.

» Opinion: Teacher training bill would cause education revolution. A discussion about the importance of training and how the GREAT Act will prepare teachers and principals to achieve better academic outcomes in their classrooms. [Read it at Politico]

» GREAT Act Q&A. An easy to understand guide to the key concepts and provisions of the GREAT Act written as a question and answer session. [Read it at NewSchools Blog]

Below is an article and Q&A with more details.

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