RE: Question 1: Attracting and Retaining Teachers

A low performing schools does not necessarily mean low performing teachers. I think we need to stop the "teacher deficit" approach to this problem. If you look at those low performing schools, you will find some commonalities like: low-socioeconomic communities, non-English speaking parents, and non-English cultural historical pre-school experiences. And yes, there are teachers that are not qualified. 

Now, I'm not implying that these schools can not improve, but I'm saying that we are judging their performance on tests that are norm reference, culturally bias, and gender bias. With norm reference testing you are always going to have a "low performing community". This is the problem with norm reference testing...half fail and half pass.

A solution to this situation may not be found by simply improving test scores. Clearly any teacher can deliver the scripted lesson needed to improve test scores. But if a child is not culturally or intellectually ready, by the nature of their own personal experiences, this type of delivery will continue to have minimal impact on the child's learning experience. It may improve tests scores, but does it meet the learning needs of a child.

I would suggest that with low performing school that an approach be made that "challenges" teachers to create a more positive experience for their students. They can not change backgrounds or cultural experiences, but they can promote a more positive approach with regards to expectations of children. 

To do this, the professional development for these schools must be systematic not strategic. It must go into the community that the school serves and involve it in the transformation. These schools need to stop looking at themselves as being handicapped and start looking for the potentials. 

If we try to impose social mandates on the natural process of learning, we will fail. It simply doesn't work. We need to get into the system, the local system, and start changing the expected outcome. If the outcome for these schools is test scores, will we really have met the needs of the child?

You can not create one solution for all the low performing schools. We need to bring learning back into the local systems. 

This type of change takes a leadership with vision, commitment, and energy...not another state mandate imposed on a local system.