Fascinating story on what makes a good teacher, and how to train educators to become more effective. This in-depth report gathers extensive factual evidence on how to evaluate a teacher's performance, interviewing a wide range of experts in the field, and providing invaluable context about this complex topic. Highly recommended.

The story documents an important trend on an issue of great importance. It sounds like the writer brought people together who are working on similar problems but didn't know each other --a good example of the connecting power of journalism.

This is the sort of in-depth reporting American public education needs. Green addresses the 500-lb gorilla sitting at the front of the room: Quality of teaching is related to the quality of people drawn to the profession.

The article does a fine job of laying out the policy context, making the topic -- the quest to understand the detailed mechanics of good teaching -- come alive through the story of Doug Lemov, who has been pioneering work on the theme.

This article is a good read for teachers: new ones and older ones alike.