The Teaching Profession

Teachers must be thoughtfully educated, highly regarded, valued, and respected members of a professional community and compensated commensurate with their responsibilities, preparation, experience, and accomplishments.

• Teachers must have the authority and flexibility to address individual needs as well as practice in accordance with professional standards in order to ensure that all students succeed at the highest levels possible.
• Professional educators must have the authority and responsibility to develop in-depth learning experiences that avoid superficial coverage of topic.
• Professional judgment should be the chief resource employed in selecting appropriate materials to develop a curriculum. A wide range of materials including but not limited to textbooks, digital resources and courseware, preprogrammed and sequenced materials should be used strategically corresponding to the needs of learners.
• Teachers must be provided with the time and organizational support to plan, prepare, collaborate, confer, and develop professionally.