Debates over teacher quality are among the most heated exchanges in the education reform arena. But while scholars and policy makers grapple with questions about teacher preparation, compensation, and evaluation, the role of teachers is changing. In schools across the country, educators are experimenting with new models for recruiting, training, and supporting teachers, and are innovating strategies for deploying their talents through differentiated roles and the use of technology. Most of the policy measures currently under consideration, however, are designed with a one-size-fits-all approach.Teacher Quality 2.0 argues that much cutting-edge work in teacher quality is happening in nontraditional environments such as online or hybrid learning, where teacher roles can be very specialized, or in charter schools that are experimenting with new approaches to staffing. The editors examine fruitful innovations taking place on the margins of the traditional education sector that promise to improve teacher quality in a more strategic way. More flexible approaches to teacher quality, the editors caution, require vigilance against backward-looking policies that “bake in” traditional assumptions about teachers’ roles. The editors of this provocative volume have convened a diverse array of contributors to look ahead to explore these emerging practices and investigate how current research and policy initiatives may affect the next generation of innovation in teaching.

''Common Core Meets Education Reform raises the hard questions about implementing and sustaining the Common Core State Standards so they don't end up in the dustbin of abandoned public education reforms. These new standards can help students enormously in becoming problem solvers and critical thinkers--which is essential in the 21st century--but only if teachers become engaged in the rollout, get the support they need, and the fixation on high-stakes testing gives way to a fixation on learning.''-- Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers''Adopting the Common Core in a mad dash for federal gold, policymakers across the country blew right past critical questions about how they'd implement the thing. This volume, in stark contrast, meticulously studies the road ahead, seeking out tripwires, pitfalls, and boulders, making it a must-read for anyone who hopes to avoid total Common Core disaster.''-- Neal McCluskey, associate director, Center for Educational Freedom, Cato Institute, Washington, DCHow can the Common Core complement and not conflict with school improvement efforts already at work across the United States? How can it be seamlessly integrated into accountability systems, teacher preparation and development, charter schools, and educational technology? This timely volume brings together prominent scholars and policy analysts to examine the pressing issues that will mark Common Core implementation. Whether or not you agree with the standards, the Common Core is coming, and this book will help policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders anticipate the challenges and take steps to address them.Contributors: Deven Carlson, Taryn Hochleitner, Ashley Jochim, Allison Kimmel, Robin Lake, Dane Linn, Tricia Maas, Patrick McGuinn, Peter Meyer, Morgan Polikoff