It is interesting scanning the discussion about teacher quality and qualifications. As usual, both extremes have it wrong and those of us in the middle are forced to hold our noses and pick a side. Now let’s consider this issue from the Middle First of all, teacher quality and qualifications are important. Studies show that the effect of a good teacher versus a marginal teacher carry forward through multiple years and even into adulthood. Most of us can point to one teacher that almost derailed our future and the one teacher that is the wellspring of our current success. The middle wants to make sure that having that good teacher, year after year, is not a matter of blind luck but a matter of design. The middle understands that competency and excellence are a driven by potential, honed with experience, practice, continual study, advanced training and support. The middle understands that the teacher who refuses to grow and adapt drags down the entire profession. The middle understands that quality teachers have to be provided with the tools of success (see: Foundation Trinity). But more importantly, quality teachers actually implement those tools with discipline and increasing competence. Purposely not using the tools is analogous to malpractice and can not to be tolerated. All of this the middle understands and works to accomplish. And because of that the middle faces the most difficult job of all. Working to improve both the quality of education and the quality of educators while one side refuses to give us the resources necessary to accomplish the job and other side refuses to budge when it is necessary to cut our loses when our “peers” have neither the skill and or/will to assist us in accomplishing our goals. Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn… Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation Come visit us at the LYS Booth at the TASA/TASB Fall Conference