Overcoming the Assessment Culture

This post originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

Professional development for educators is a fundamental key to large-scale improvement of learning for children. Yet building the capacity of adults charged with preparing students for the future is the weakest part of our nation's reform strategy.

This is not because we don't know what to do. We understand that professional development must be sustained over time. We know it must be structured and focused, and include direct observation and support in the classroom. We know that teachers and school leaders must understand the importance of children's cognitive and emotional development and embrace it with a sense of urgency.

Our nation's record in professional development isn't weak because we don't have the knowledge or the tools to do it right. It's weak because it is difficult to do and because policymakers tend to gravitate toward what is easier. Professional development is an investment of dollars and time. And, it often demands profound culture change. ...

To read the complete article, visit The Huffington Post.