Talented Teachers

This book explains to policymakers, parents, business leaders, and teachers themselves the importance of talented teachers in increasing student achievement. It is based on the proceedings from the 2003 Milken National Education Conference (NEC), which was held in Los Angeles in May 2003. In the early 1980s, Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, created an awards program to acknowledge educators' crucial contributions to our national well-being. His belief was--and is--that one way to attract, retain, and motivate talented people to the teaching profession is to recognize and reward outstanding educators' achievements, enhance their resources and expand their professional influence and growth. For almost two decades the program, which is the largest teacher recognition program in the nation, has rewarded thousands of exemplary kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers, principals, counselors, librarians, and other specialists--each with an unrestricted financial prize of USD25,000. This book provides readers with the opportunity to hear what experts in the educational community think about the myriad issues involved in improving the quality of all teachers in our nation's classrooms.