Stupid in America

[Airyth]

The easiest standardized way to rate teachers would be by implementing yearly standardized testing across all subjects. You could then base the teachers' merit on the improvement their students showed from the previous year to their new test scores after a year of being taught by that teacher.
The problem though is that it would encourage teachers to "Teach for the test". That would mean valuable learning experiences would be ignored. Teacher's couldn't take hours out of their regular cirriculum to discuss a world event and how it related to what the students were learning because that would take time away from teaching what the students needed to know to score well on their standardized tests at the end of the year.
Here in Virginia we have standardized testing every few years for the students to ensure they've learned everything they need to know to advance to the next grade. There's been debate about these tests as its led to teachers spending more time training students to be able to pass the Standards of Learning Exams and its leaving students lacking in other areas. I don't have any kids yet so I can't personally attest to how things have been working out, but my friends who have kids haven't been happy with the education their kids have been recieving since the changes.