Education standards? Good idea in theory!

Good to see new standards being applied to graduate teachers but frankly they should be applied to all teachers. Perhaps a warrant of fitness approach for all teachers every four years or so. Could also be the basis for salary reviews as well. At least then the best teachers would be paid more and lesser ones would be penalised. Of course it would only work properly if,
(i) The standards were robust and included not only academic understanding of teaching but the practical application as well.
(ii) Students and parents views were taken into consideration.
(iii) Rigorous assessment of student success.
(iv) Practicing teachers who were well rated reviewed the standards to ensure it was fair and not captured by academic elites.
(v) Unions and ministry officials were to butt out and start putting the needs of both students and good teachers ahead of their own little power plays.

Interesting to note the report which wanted to implement these standards so that they could prove the graduates "have appropriate knowledge for what they want to teach". You would have thought that that was a given!

Link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435708