The School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is addressing the urban teacher retention challenge through its Institute for Urban Education (IUE). IUE focuses on recruiting individuals from underrepresented populations who have a commitment to their urban communities. Its curriculum is distinguished by five features: (1) an…

This article examines the career trajectories and biographies of three women who completed the same graduate preservice program in elementary education. While two have become successful teacher leaders, the third has moved in and out of teaching. This inquiry draws on a ten-year longitudinal study of one of these teachers, positioning that…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of teacher retention to teacher education programs and state-mandated teacher certification examinations (PD exam). Identified participants completed either a traditional field-based teacher education program or emergency permit program and had passed a professional development…

The revolving door appropriately describes the attrition among beginning teachers. Especially high attrition plagues our urban schools where highly qualified teachers are most crucial. Even though research over 3 decades has provided the basis for intricate induction programs, not all new teachers experience them. Effective mentoring has provided…

Special education teacher attrition has been a major concern for over fifteen years. There have been numerous studies and proposals to explain this problem and suggestions offered for interventions. In general, the studies have reported that approximately 50% of newly certified special education teachers leave the field during the first five years…

State public policy has been an important tool for improving the educational preparation and opportunity for many communities. However, without concerted statewide efforts it will continue to be difficult to substantially expand opportunities to accelerate higher education attainment and workforce preparation. Over the next 15 years, the states…

The percentage of urban teachers who leave the profession within the first 5 years is more than 50%; inadequate preparation is often cited as a cause of urban teacher attrition. This article explores a qualitative study regarding teachers' perceptions of their experience of and preparation for teaching in urban schools. Data from teachers in urban…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 set forth to hold all schools accountable to high standards and address the long-standing objective of closing the achievement gap between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds. The guidelines and criteria that describe highly qualified teachers emphasize pedigrees and standardized test scores as…

In this article, the author discusses the importance of having more experienced and more prepared teachers for students to learn more. Here, the author presents two books: (1) A Good Teacher in Every Classroom; and (2) Preparing Teachers for a Changing World. A Good Teacher outlines current research on effective teaching, citing necessary areas of…

The unequal status of women professors, compared to their male counterparts, is not staggering news. While women constitute approximately sixty percent of the undergraduate population and earn more than half the doctorates in the United States, women professors continue to number fewer than men. The American Association of University Professors…

This research study involved the identification and categorization of critical incidents related to individuals who completed the teacher education program but did not teach in public school classrooms. The methodology of the study followed the guidelines put forth by John Flanagan's critical incident technique. This study was conducted during the…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Congress Delays Action on Budget Resolution: Will Take It Up in June, but Expects to Postpone Final Spending…

Early career special educators must be engaged in conversations with developers of preservice teacher preparation programs to co-construct initial teacher education programs which meet their needs. The process of listening to the teachers themselves could serve to ensure that teachers are an explicit element of program design. This article…

This brief paper is part of a larger research project which examined the historical background of teaching in the Kuwaiti educational system before and after the Gulf War in 1990 in order to propose a new perspective on teacher education in Kuwait, particularly with regard to religious education. The author is interested in whether others have a…

Objective: Finding time to teach psychiatry has become increasingly difficult. Concurrently, changes in medical student education are elevating demands for teaching. Academic psychiatry is challenged by these pressures to find innovative ways to recruit, retain, and reward faculty for teaching efforts. To address this challenge, the authors…