Areas of reform that would really count: Valuing the teacher and care and relationships in the classroom

It is the thesis of this paper that the current reforms and policies designed for improving student achievement may be hampering the goal of student learning, despite the good intentions of policy makers. This paper will show that the way to improve student learning is not to expand the prescribed curriculum or to insist upon more standardization, but to allow effective teachers to do what it is they know they need to do to create conditions for optimum student learning: foster care and relationships in their classrooms. Reforms then should focus on care and relationships in the classroom and valuing and supporting the teachers who are skilled at building and nurturing these relationships. There is an examination of the current context in schools and some of the current reforms which are designed to improve student achievement. Research and writings about good teaching are then discussed and finally, there are new directions proposed for more effective reforms and policy in Teacher Education Programs as well as Professional and Curriculum Development. A conclusion is offered which discusses how these new reform directions could successfully address some of the problems in our school system today.