As I watched the film and listened to the panelists' conversations afterward, I couldn't help thinking about what Neil Genzlinger wrote about American Teacher in the New York Times. Genzlinger noted that, in the film, pay is treated "as if it's the only factor in educational dysfunction; not a word is said about no-show students, uninvolved parents, or other issues."
Although teachers are the single most important factor inside the classroom when it comes to learning, education is not limited to schools. Dan Goldhaber of the University of Washington has concluded that about 60 percent of student achievement is attributed to nonschool factors, such as socioeconomic status.
Noted education scholar Diane Ravitch agrees. She wrote that "teacher quality accounts for about 7.5-10 percent of student test score gains" and that "teachers statistically account for around 10-20 percent of achievement outcomes."
So while a teacher's value is not disputed inside school, an educator's influence cannot make up for other variables such as home environment. The Educational Testing Service has found that factors such as reading at home, watching television, parent employment, nutrition, and out-of-wedlock birth significantly affect a student's education. It also said not much had been done in the past 25 years to include the family in education reform.
In my recently published book The Village Proposal, I argue that reformers must take a holistic approach to education. For schools to work, we need dedicated teachers and sound instruction, but we also need the support of parents; principals who maintain an orderly school culture; and public policy genuinely aimed at improving learning.
