How Do You Decide What Makes a "Good" Teacher?

The whole debate about performance-based pay for teachers rears its head once again.

The Sunday Herald Sun recently conducted an online poll of 5000 Australians about the quality of schooling parents want for their children (read an article about it here).

Of the 794 Victorian parents who responded, 63% felt that under-performing teachers (in terms of academic results produced) should be "expelled", while 79% believed that teachers who produced good academic results should be paid more than their colleagues.

The article isn't entirely one-sided; it does acknowledge that things like NAPLAN tests should not be relied on as an indicator of teacher success.

Of course, teachers would ask the same old questions, too, in response to this:

• what if I teach in a school in a low socioeconomic area? Is it fair to assess me against the same criteria?

• what about schools that follow the common practice of streaming classes? Why should a teacher given a gifted class be paid more than a teacher given e.g. a non-OP class? Shouldn't it be the other way around?!
• what about the part that parents play in their child's education?
• what about the part that students play in their own education?

And so the debate continues...