A recent survey of 41 different state boards of education revealed that officials from 28 states indicate that they are experiencing teacher shortages. The shortages in some states are significant. While the teacher shortage in many states is tied to different factors, one frequently cited reason for leaving the teaching profession is low pay.…

Nobody goes into teaching to get rich, but that's no excuse not to pay teachers as professionals. Compensation is one of the most important factors in determining who enters the teaching profession and how long they stay--yet 90 percent of all U.S. school districts pay teachers without any regard for their actual performance with students,…

Finding, keeping and supporting great educators presents the single biggest challenge to successful school turnarounds. Without teachers and administrators who bring the needed combination of skills and passion, nothing else will achieve the desired effect. The turnaround model supported by the U.S. Department of Education School Improvement Grant…

The challenges of maintaining highly qualified special education teachers are evident in public schools across the nation. Replacing educators who leave the field is a time consuming and expensive endeavor that impacts the achievement and progress of children with disabilities. This study is focused on explaining length of tenure in the profession…

Building a stronger teacher workforce requires the thoughtful orchestration of multiple processes working together in a human capital system. This white paper presents a framework that can be used to take stock of current efforts to enhance the teacher workforce in school districts or educational organizations, as well as their underlying theories…

The retirement behavior of Pennsylvania public school teachers in 1997-98 and 1998-99, a period when state early retirement incentives were temporarily increased, is modeled using a choice framework that emphasizes both pecuniary and nonpecuniary factors of the retirement decision under a defined benefit retirement plan. We find each to have large…

It goes without saying that the work of the school centers in the teacher. While educators acknowledge this principle, they too often overlook the fact that the work of the school can only reach its best when the teacher is at her best. It is the duty of the teacher to make the most of the physical powers which he or she possesses; but on the…

This report offers an extensive review of the current status of teacher education in Pennsylvania and the critical issues facing educators in that state. Research findings and studies by educators provided informed opinions and predictions on the following topics: (1) the characteristics of students K-12; (2) the characteristics of teacher…

The survey committee of the United States Bureau of Education brings to Columbia, South Carolina's attention those practices which are generally held by other communities, for the present, at least, to be the best. In its effort to get at the facts it has received the unhesitating cooperation of the school commissioners, the superintendent, and…

The purpose of this study is to learn the true status of the rural teacher in Pennsylvania. The study is restricted for the most part to the facts and conditions pertaining to the teachers in the one-teacher schools. In some instances data will be given regarding the teachers in two-teacher schools, villages, and boroughs, either for the purpose…