In almost every sport, at the end of the year, a MVP award is given.  Usually the person who wins is not the MVP!My question is do you want the MVP or the Best player?  What about for your teachers.  Do you want the best teachers or the most valuable teacher?  Usually we would say this is the same, but if you think about it, the most valuable players are not always the best player.

Now that we somewhat realize they are not the same, wouldn’t it be just the smart move to bring in the best teachers out there.  So many professionals state if you want to be the best school, you need to have the best students, which means you need to have the best teachers.  So having the best teachers is that valuable?

We are in the middle of NBA Playoffs.  Sadly my team did not make it for the first time in years. But, a few years ago there was a team, the L.A. Lakers who arguably had two of the best players of that time and of all time. Kobe and Shaq.  They were suppose to be unbeatable.  In the finals that year they were playing the Detroit Pistons, who had a bunch of no namers and has beens.  You think about the Pistons that year, in the Draft they took Darko Milicic, by passing Dwayne Wade and Carmello Anthony.  They had Billups as their leader, someone who was nicknamed Mayor because he has been on so many teams.  You had Rip Hamliton playing with a broken face.  Tayshun Prince and the Wallaces (Ben and Rasheed) rounded off their starting five.

There was talk about how the Lakers were going to walk the floor with the no-talent Pistons.  But if you compare it to cards, the Lakers were holding a Pair of Aces.  and the Pistons were holding 3 threes and 2 twos.  If you follow cards you will know a full house will beat a pair of aces every time.  Pistons had role players.  Billups went on to win the MVP and was truly someone who deserved the MVP.

So what does that have to do with Education?

When we are looking at teachers, we don’t always have to have the  best teachers  (although it would be nice) to be successful.  Teachers that are truly valuable are the ones who do their best in the roles they are put in and want to expand their knowledge and in turn expand their roles.  Valuable teachers are the ones who are reading and learning when they can.  Valuable teachers are the ones who are teaching other teachers and suggesting ways to become better.

I want Valuable Teachers not just the Best Teachers, who do you want?