前程百利小编为大家带来托福阅读材料。文章的难词已经标示出来，希望大家可以学习到相关知识，并通过不断的阅读练习提高自己的托福阅读能力。
There is little dispute(争论) that our schools are in need of(需要) fundamental reform(改革) but few leaders have been willing to(乐意) take on the special interests and deliver the changes needed. This year Gov. Cuomo stepped into that void(空白).
In the budget(预算) that passed this week he made good on his promise to be the voice of students in Albany. The reforms that were included will improve our schools and help children learn.
Study after study has shown that the single greatest factor in improving outcomes(效果) for students is teaching quality. The new rules are based on this principle.
Teacher tenure(终身职位) based on proven effectiveness. The most notable(值得关注的) achievement this week deals with the teacher-tenure system. Long considered a third rail of education politics Gov. Cuomo stood up to the special interests and won.
New York is now one of just 12 states to award tenure after a minimum of four years up from three.
In addition a teacher must be rated effective for three years to qualify. This might seem like basic common sense(常识) — because it is. It also represents a profound shift in how education policy is made in Albany.
Protecting students from ineffective teachers. The process to get rid of(消除) abusive(虐待的) teachers has been streamlined(提高效率) an enormous step in protecting kids.
Hearings(听证会) to remove incompetent teachers are now limited to 90 days down from an average of 830 days. And a district can suspend(暂时停职) without pay an employee charged with(被指控) misconduct(行为不端) that constitutes(构成) physical or sexual abuse.
Plus a child no longer has to face an attacker in person and can now testify(指证，作证) via closed circuit TV instead.
Also noteworthy(重要的，值得关注的) it’s now illegal for a student to have an ineffective teacher two years in a row.
Undoubtedly we need to do more to protect kids and shed ineffective teachers quickly but these are important steps.
Identifying the best teachers and those who need help. School districts and teachers unions had rigged(暗箱操作) the teacher-evaluation system so that ratings didn’t reflect dismal(差劲的) student performance.
Almost every teacher was rated effective — even though only a third of children are on grade level in New York.
Teacher evaluations are now significantly more ob<x>jective(客观的) leaving less room for local backroom(幕后的) deals that undermine standards. The state now has power to set a high bar.
Attracting the best teacher candidates. The nations that consistently(始终) score among the top in international education rankings are able recruit(招收，吸纳) top candidates to their education schools. This is not the case in the United States.
With the new standards teacher-prep programs in New York that persistently fail to adequately prepare teachers for the classroom will be shut down.
Scholarships(奖学金) will be awarded to high-performing teaching students and bonuses(奖金) will be given to high-performing teachers in the schools. All of this will elevate(提高) the quality of the teaching profession in New York.
Providing families with quality school choices. For many students in underserved(不应得的) neighborhoods charter schools represent their only opportunity to get a quality education.
Unfortunately public charter schools receive about 25 percent less funding than their district-school counterparts.
While the budget did not eliminate(消除) this gap — and regrettably(令人遗憾地) the boost(推动) in state aid to districts did not extend to charters — the deal does include an additional $225 per pupil for charters.
No one could fairly argue that these fixes will solve all the problems with our schools. A good deal of work remains during this legislative session alone.
For starters reformers will redouble our efforts to(加倍努力) raise the cap on charter schools and push for passage(通过) of the Education Investment Tax Credit. Both are critical to expanding(扩大) school choice for working families.
Still by keeping the focus on teacher quality and school choice this year’s budget is moving public schools in the right direction.
Gov. Cuomo and state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos deserve a great deal of credit for standing up to the forces of the status quo(现状) and delivering real change on behalf of students.
以上就是前程百利小编为大家带来的托福阅读材料，平时的阅读练习是托福考试阅读备考的重要一环。希望大家利用好每份材料，尽可能多地从中获取知识。预祝大家托福考试取得好成绩。
