Discussion Panel: Teacher Quality in Mexico

"In Search of Good Teachers: Patterns of Teacher Quality in Two Mexican States" by THOMAS F. LUSCHEI, Ph.D. Student, International Comparative Education, Stanford University

"Evaluation of "Carrera Magisterial," the National Teacher Incentive Program in Mexico" by LUCRECIA SANTIBAÑEZ, Associate Economist at RAND

Tom Luschei is a Ph.D. student in International Comparative Education at Stanford University. His interests include education in Latin America, teacher quality and teacher labor markets, and the economics of education. Prior to beginning his studies at Stanford, Tom was a bilingual teacher in Los Angeles and earned a master's degree in public policy at the University of Texas at Austin. While at Stanford, Tom has also earned a master's degree in economics. In January 2006, Tom will begin work as an assistant professor of education policy at Florida State University.

Lucrecia Santibañez (Ph.D. Education, Stanford University) is an associate economist at RAND. In August 2002 she received her Ph.D. in International and Comparative Education at Stanford University, and in 2001 she received an M.A. in Economics from the same institution. Her substantive areas of research include teacher and administrator labor markets, teacher effects on student achievement, and higher education. Her dissertation titled "Why we should care if teachers get A's: Impact on student achievement in Mexico," analyzed teacher characteristics in Mexico and how they are related to student achievement in public schools. She is also a co-leader of the scholarship team that will implement a new scholarship system for the nation of Qatar as part of RAND 's postsecondary education efforts there. She recently co-authored two papers commissioned by the World Bank on teacher incentives and teacher professional development in Mexico, a school leadership study funded by the Wallace Funds' Leaders Count Initiative, and a report on funding issues and participation rates in California community colleges.

Refreshments will be served. This event is sponsored by the CLAS Working Group on Education Policy in Latin America.