Why aren't our teachers the best and the brightest?

This article from the Washington Post discusses one very real problem with our education system (and teacher edu. programs). It is something I have noticed in my own experience and a problem that I think should be a major part of educational reform.

Why aren't our teachers the best and the brightest?

Now I am not saying that you have to be brilliant to be a teacher, but I do believe that students graduating in the top of their classes would make more capable teachers. Students who can problem solve, think critically, and have an understanding of theory and content often make for very capable teacher.

I do think the article should expand to look at top students beyond academics. Look at what college students do outside of the classroom. To me, that tells a lot more about a person and his or her abilities. That is one reason I like UC's Honors Program so much. Yes, you can take enriched classes, but you are encouraged to develop as a leader, engage in our culture or different cultures, and partake in service learning. It is that stuff, the outside stuff, that I think really teaches skills that translate into the classroom. These are the students that I would want teaching my children. These are the types of students we need to bring into America's classrooms.