To what extent does an individual teacher contribute to a student’s educational “outcome” vs the school/educational system as a whole?

Which is more important? Having a good teacher? Or having a good system?

A good teacher is, IMO, priceless and also a rarity. When you find someone who is not only talented, but motivated and passionate about teaching as well, you will be hard pressed to find a better candidate to Shepard the next generation into adulthood.

However, a single good teacher cannot address the educational needs of a nation as large as the US. You need a system of education with the right mix of control and freedom to address systemic problems in a regulated and stable way, while also not stifling individuals’ capability to teach effectively.

But I’m torn. I’m not sure which would help society more - if you could only choose one, which would be more important to the educational well-being of a student - the individual teaching them, or the system of education they’re a part of?

Thanks for any and all insight

Submitted December 12, 2020 at 08:43AM by redditthrowaway1478 https://ift.tt/3nhhgQW