Every era has its great teachers. Teachers are great just by the sheer nature of what they do. And, there is reason to believe that, as a whole, teachers entering the profession are even more qualified now than 10 years ago.

Prospective teachers taking the state Praxis exams in 2002 through 2005 had higher SAT scores and better GPAs in college on average than teachers taking the exams in 1994 through 1997, according to a recent report by the Educational Testing Service.

Both the ETS and Sharon Robinson, the CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, attribute the impressive teacher pool to increased requirements for entry into teacher education programs, improved teacher quality requirements for accreditation, and the increased need for teacher education programs to report candidates' test scores (among other factors).

It can be difficult to correctly identify children's learning problems, especially in that gray area between reading and speech skills. Sometimes kids can read and understand words but not say them out loud, a point on which a recent university study focuses.

The research from the University of Maryland and National-Louis University recommends limiting the use of oral reading tests to figure out the right reading level for students. The researchers said that as many as ten percent of all students have speech language problems that make it difficult for the students to prove their language skills verbally.

"They really struggle when they have to read a simple word like 'nest' out loud. Some grimace, others look stuck. Some just blurt out an answer that's almost always wrong. Yet when asked to point to the same word on a page, they almost always get it right. Clearly they've got a problem and need help, but it's not that they lack reading skills," said Diane German, the principal researcher.

The study, which measured the reading skills of first-, second-, and third-graders, was not clear on how many kids with word-finding problems may end up placed in reading levels too low for their talents, but the researchers did recommend being very careful with how much emphasis is placed on the results of oral reading exams.

The take-away is that some kids may be able to read just fine but are still ending up in remedial reading classes. Multiple types of testing for reading can give educators a clearer picture. It is important that we really understand the learning problems children are experiencing before we try to solve the problems with a one-size-fits-all solution. Assessments and solutions should be individualized, which is why Reading A–Z has developed several reading assessment methods to determine student reading levels and reading progress.

Changes in the housing market often have a greater impact on school funding than other state revenue areas. So when the housing market takes a downturn, school funding suffers. As we get started in 2008, officials in every state expect a continued fiscal slowdown, largely due to the housing market changes, and that's bad news for our country's already underfunded schools.

A report (PDF) released by the National Governor's Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers expects that even as the growth in state revenues slows down, state populations will continue to grow, making it more difficult to meet education needs.

Ray Scheppach, Executive Director of the National Governors Association, predicts that higher education will suffer cuts before elementary and secondary schools. But that doesn't mean anyone will be spared budget shortfalls.

No doubt schools and districts will be tasked with doing more with fewer resources. That's why Learning A–Z remains committed to affordable pricing of all of its websites so all educators can have access to the materials they need to teach, regardless of slashed budgets. Most of our websites—with thousands of online and printable books, lessons, and worksheets—can be licensed for an entire year for an entire classroom at the price of a single textbook.