When it comes to education , it all comes down to one important point: good teachers make a difference. It is crucial, then, to coach teachers to be the best they can be. 

So says Paul Dean from Philly.com, who looks at how much teachers can do when they are working in impoverished communities, face bad funding, and deal with other common problems. 

"Study after study has shown that high-quality teaching results in more student learning," Dean said. "The effect is magnified for low-income and minority students and amplified when a student receives consecutive years of good teaching."

Few teachers, however, have developed a technique to make this type of impact, according to Dean. It's an issue that is getting attention nationally.

"To put great teachers in every classroom, we need great school leadership and a new focus for principals - not on the role of administrator and manager that they are used to, but on the role of expert coach," he said. "When school leaders and principals see themselves as - and develop themselves into - experts at getting teachers better faster, then on-the-job training will work for teachers. More importantly, it will work for our most vulnerable kids and underserved communities."

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Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor