Revamp Our School System

Bob Herbert, of the NYT, opines about the necessity of revamping our schools in the USA. Everyone I've ever spoken with about the subject agrees that our schools could be better. But Herbert makes a good point here:

What is counterintuitive, but well documented, is that paper qualifications, such as teacher certification, have very little to do with whatever it is that makes good teachers effective.

“Regrettably,” said Professor Kane, who has studied this issue extensively, “we’ve never taken that research fact seriously in our teacher policy. We’ve done just the opposite.”

Concerned about raising the quality of teachers, states and local school districts have consistently focused on the credentials, rather than the demonstrated effectiveness — or ineffectiveness — of teachers in the classroom.

I've had more than one teacher tell me that obtaining a Masters of Education is a joke. Show up to class and you will get at least a B. Certification guarantees nothing. Assigning effective, experienced, mentor teachers to new teachers would likely be much more effective in helping new teachers than requiring "paper certification". Sort of like what is done in almost all other careers.

I understand, better than most, that teachers love the protection that their union provides (I've been through teachers union negotiation sessions). But I think if teachers don't start supporting effective change, taxpayers are going to revolt by supporting more and more charter schools or other alternative means of education.