Teachers are the most important factor in whether a student achieves in the classroom, so closing the achievement gap means improving the effectiveness of our teachers and their principals. But right now, no one really knows how effective our teachers are. The Obama administration recognizes that many states' evaluation systems are broken, and the $4 billion Race to the Top competition incentivizes states to make big changes in this area. When nearly every teacher is considered "satisfactory," teachers have little understanding of how to improve and great teachers go unrecognized. But as this issue brief shows, enacting key reforms at the state level will help Connecticut make progress in this area, win sorely-needed federal money, and raise student achievement. (Contains 19 footnotes.)