I have a thought, as to why our education system isn’t working.Some of today’s teachers are quite good, quite smart, quite effective and passionate about their work. But many are not.When the Country was segregated, the best and brightest Bermudians, particularly black Bermudians, became schoolteachers largely because they were only able to get funding to go to university for that purpose.Today, our best and brightest become accountants, actuaries, lawyers and doctors. We are victims of our own success.I’m a TK, teacher’s kid there, I coined a new phrase so I know something about which I write. President Obama, in one of his many pre-election speeches, said that America should pay teachers a competitive salary so that it is a more appealing career; reward good teachers and remove those who are not as effective. I submit that his recommendations are appropriate for Bermuda as well.We have to make sure that people who we hire as teachers are really passionate about helping, leading, moulding and developing children to become positive, well-adjusted persons who reach their full potential.If this is not your reason for being a teacher, you are in the wrong profession, doing yourself, our kids, the education system and Bermuda a disservice.When hiring, it’s important to look past degrees. The deal maker has to be if a candidate is doing something outside their career, or has done something prior to getting into the profession, that demonstrates a true love of teaching, working with kids, moulding and developing kids.Coaching, being a youth leader in a church or special interest group and working with a charity that has to do with kids or developing young people are examples of that.Another indicator is whether potential or current teachers have taken any courses using their own funds or sought out and attended particular seminars. The teachers who do so on their own time are the passionate teachers, those who are really serious about helping students to be all that they can be.Paying more competitive salaries MAY cause the career to be more appealing to some of our sharper minds. And if we find people who are genuinely passionate about developing kids, they are likely to be more committed and more effective than people who are choosing it as a career for other reasons.And now, The Top 20Back up to #1 is Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz. This track bangs because it seems immovable atop pop, hip hop and rap charts worldwide.On the way up at #2 is F*ckn Problems by A$ap Rocky.Tumbling to #3 is Scream and Shout by will.i.am and Britney Spears.Falling to #4 is Right Now by Rihanna and David Guetta.Soaring to #5 is Suit and Tie, by Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z.Slipping to #6 is Bring it to Me Kes and the Band.Down to #7 is She Ready by Machel MontanoTumbling into the #8 is Don’t You Worry Child, by the Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin.Down to #9 is Surge by Clockwork featuring Wynter Gordon.Tumbling to #10 is Nah Go Change (One Cent) by DemarcoImproving to #11 is Harlem Shake by Bauer.Up to #12 is Started from the Bottom by Drake, arguably the hottest rapper in the game.On the way up at #13 is Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch.Stay by Rihanna falls to #14.Way up to #15 is last week’s essential new tune, As Your Friend by Chris Brown featuring Afrojack.Now three huge new tracks. In at #16 is Beam Me Up (Kill Mode) by Cazzette. This is a banger, a monster dance track.New at #17 is Sexy People (The Fiat Song) by Arianna featuring Pitbull; the hottest name in the dance music game. Many will remember this as the song featured in those cool Fiat commercials with those sexy cute lil Fiats diving into the ocean in Italia and coming out of the water across the ocean in America.New at #18 is a ballad, When I Was Your Man, by Bruno Mars.Slipping to #19 is Don’t Stop The Party, by Pitbull.Tumbling to #20 is Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber and Nicky Minaj.