1. Pay math and science teachers more. This is necessary to attract talent. The demand for them is high, but they can make more money elsewhere. I'm a history teacher, so I don't benefit from this. There is already enough self-interest built into this system.
2. Decentralize. Large bureaucratic school systems make poor decisions because they don't have adequate knowledge about the things that go on in their schools. Don't give money to districts, give it to schools and teachers.
3. Blur the line between teachers and administrators. All administrators should also teach. All teachers should help administrate. It will make each better at their job.
4. Fire bad teachers. Tenure is a plague upon our educational system. It sounds noble, but it is less noble up close. How can you determine who is a bad teacher? First, ask the students if they are learning. Students can instantaneously tell you which teachers are helping them learn. They can also differentiate between a cool teacher and a good teacher. Just ask them.
5. Hire smart and motivated people. First, destroy the monopoly enjoyed by education schools. A teaching certificate is not necessary to be a good teacher. What's necessary is intelligence, motivation, charisma, and the knowledge necessary to succeed. The first three can be sought out by human resources professionals. Necessary knowledge can be gained by immersion into the classrooms of great teachers.
6. Stop worrying so much about standardized tests. Somehow, Socrates managed to educate his students without them. If you implement #4 and #5, you won't need to worry about test scores any longer.
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