Freakonomics Radio Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem? (Rebroadcast)
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Jan 28, 2016 Exploring the correlation between teacher quality and student performance, the need to elevate teacher training and compensation to ensure the excellence of American education, challenges in retaining excellent teachers, and the impact of philanthropy in transforming failing schools into community-supported institutions.
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Teacher Quality Gap Explains Student Performance
- U.S. teachers often come from the lower half of their college class unlike top-ranked teachers in countries like Finland.
- This difference partly explains why American students perform only slightly below average internationally.
Great Teachers Boost Lifelong Outcomes
- Great teachers can boost their students' lifetime earnings by $1.5 million collectively.
- Their influence also reduces teen pregnancy and improves job and neighborhood quality.
Historical Roots of Female Teaching
- In the 19th century, teaching was female-dominated due to social norms and lower pay.
- Women were paid half as much, so hiring them was economically advantageous for expanding public schooling.