Topic Guide

Teacher Voice & Education Reform

The central argument of The Silent Voice in Education is that classroom teachers should have a meaningful role in decisions that shape instruction. Troiano explores that idea through education reform, mathematics curriculum, professional judgment, and local leadership.

Why teacher voice is the organizing idea

Troiano’s perspective comes from 36 years in public-school classrooms, including 27 years in special education. The question running through his work is not whether research, administration, or policy should disappear; it is how those systems can use evidence without excluding the practitioners who see the consequences of decisions every day.

The 2008 National Mathematics Advisory Panel is unusually relevant to that theme. Its recommendations say mathematically knowledgeable classroom teachers should have a central role in mathematics education and that instructional practice should draw both on high-quality research and on the professional judgment and experience of accomplished classroom teachers.

Start with these essays

Education Reform

New Leadership in Education

Troiano’s argument about the changing balance between classroom experience and outside influence.

Mathematics

Whatever Happened to Arithmetic?

A case study in curriculum reform and the teacher workarounds Troiano observed.

Related book chapters

The publisher’s table of contents includes “Local Leadership,” “Classroom Teachers React to the Times,” “Teacher-initiated Change that has Stood the Test of Time,” “Local Control of Education: A Beginning,” and the epilogue “The Classroom Teacher.” See the official book listing.

Explore related topics

Teacher Voice

Teacher Voice & Education Reform

Classroom judgment, policy, and local leadership.

Mathematics

New Math & Arithmetic

Math reform, fluency, facts, and algebra readiness.

Special Education

Special Education & Individual Instruction

IEPs, classroom practice, and individual needs.

History

History of American Education Reform

Major mid-century curriculum movements and changes in school organization.