NEA on the RESPECT program

Even the NEA likes the RESPECT program – normally a bad sign, but I still like it:

 

National Education Association leaders believe a new Department of Education proposal is a promising proposition toward improving the teaching profession. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has launched RESPECT (Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching), a proposal that challenges states and districts to work with teachers and their unions to support and improve the teaching profession. In December of 2011, NEA announced its own aggressive agenda for transforming the profession called NEA's Three-Point Plan for Education Reform.

 

"Recruiting talented candidates and providing substantive, high-quality preparation is essential in ensuring quality schools," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.  "This proposal represents a critical first-step in ensuring that all students have access to a range of high-quality resources, including qualified and licensed teachers who are empowered to innovate and inspired to take on ever-growing challenges. We are particularly pleased that others beyond our organization are beginning to acknowledge the comprehensive set of supports that schools need to improve and to recognize that there is no 'silver-bullet' when it comes to transforming schools."