What makes a good teacher? Ask a Republican and a Democrat, and they are likely to agree

Conservative parents and advocacy groups are lobbying to remove books highlighting LGBTQ+ issues or race and racism from school libraries, sparking opposition from civil liberties groups and progressive parents who see this as censorship.
Beyond the political polarization seen in education debates, there is bipartisan agreement on the qualities that make a very good teacher, regardless of age, race, gender, or political affiliation.
A study from 2020 surveyed over 2,000 Americans and found that people consistently prioritized teachers who cared about students, made lessons relevant, and offered individualized support.
In 2022, a similar survey of teachers in Arizona and California echoed these findings, highlighting the importance of relationships and relevance in teaching.
An experiment conducted in late 2024/early 2025 showed that while people agreed on what makes a good teacher, they became less supportive of this view when associated with a political party they didn’t affiliate with, indicating affective polarization.
Federal education policies often emphasize testing and competition which might not align with the shared belief of what good teaching entails.
Recognizing these individual-level agreements could open new avenues for educational collaboration and reform.

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