The best discussion on the subject is at the Re-Designing Schools Confrence,
Shown on and available at Knowledgeworks section of Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation page accessible from Bill Gates Home Page. You can get a link to Bill Gates Home page by searching Google for Bill Gates,

The Main points brought up in the Confrence- shown as video -is (i) To have a good Education/School System, the critical element is a good Teacher.
To have agood teacher the school should provide necessary environment and follow teacher friendly policies, including building long term relationships with teacher-school, teacher- student duos. This means not frquent transfers. Provide fascilities for pre class preperations, and developing systems to promote student teache relationships. From the students point of view a good teacher is the one who takes them seriously, is interested in their learning, and commands respect by taking teaching seriously.
This is more important than than what you teach or how you teach.