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"Great Teachers"

[In background: School room sounds with a teacher leading the class in a lesson.]

Feldman: The quality of teaching has a direct effect on student achievement.

I’m Sandra Feldman, President of the American Federation of Teachers, the AFT.

Fortunately, most teachers are ready and able, but too many school districts, faced with shortages, hire teachers who have not been trained in the subjects they are assigned to teach.

We can do a better job of preparing teachers right now.

We should give future teachers real classroom experience working with veteran teachers—before they have their own class full of kids.

Teachers need regular opportunities to learn—through mentoring from skilled colleagues, and ongoing training in the best and latest techniques.

And school districts could offer financial incentives to teachers who take courses in hard-to-staff subject areas, such as math and science.

These efforts will help place and keep good teachers in classrooms—and help students succeed.

Voice-over: A message from the American Federation of Teachers.