This paper explores the problems of recruiting the most qualified individuals to the teaching profession. Part 1 discusses the premise that supply and demand in teacher education are subject to the market forces that influence career choices in other fields. An analysis is given of how those fluctuations operate to reduce the intellectual quality…

Each year, the School District of Philadelphia hires a large number of new teachers. Philadelphia needs these new teachers not because enrollment is increasing--in fact, enrollment in the public schools has been decreasing over the past few years as a result of a declining birth rate and the growth of charter schools--but because a substantial…

In October 1998, Congress enacted Title II, Sections 207 and 208 (as amendments to the Higher Education Act) which support the efforts of States, Institutions of Higher Education, and their School District partners to improve the recruitment, preparation, and support of new teachers. The Title II report includes specifications, conditions and…

Proposes that a systems-management point of view be taken in revising present teacher education programs. (JM)

The Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) is a comprehensive school reform with the goal to attract, retain, and motivate quality teachers. By aggressively recruiting new teachers, providing a career continuum, introducing teacher-led professional development, implementing rigorous teacher accountability, and paying teachers based on their position,…

Meeting the requirement for highly qualified teachers as outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act has left school districts in a quandary, especially those that serve a population of students deemed "at-risk" and where attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers is difficult. One professional development program based on…

Thirty-five experts from several fields of research participated in a discussion to explore whether future research is needed on issues related to teacher quality, what kinds of research are needed, and in particular, what issues could best be addressed by a National Research Council study of teacher quality in elementary/secondary science and…

This report presents a conceptual framework for the mission of the National Institute of Education (NIE) Research and Development Center for Teacher Quality and Effectiveness. Several important issues that should be the focus of the Center are identified, and the theoretical foundations to guide the research and development activities to study…

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS OF ATTRACTING AND RETAINING SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS. A MORE EXTENSIVE AND INTELLIGENT USE CAN BE MADE OF EXISTING LABORATORY SCHOOLS AND AFFILIATED SCHOOLS FOR URBAN TEACHER EDUCATION. INCREASED EFFORT CAN BE MADE IN POINTING TEACHER EDUCATION TOWARD URBAN TEACHING RATHER THAN PRESENTING ONLY THE…

To encourage talented teachers to remain in the profession, their rewards and opportunities must be expanded. Also, a level of quality teaching must be established and maintained by organizing schools for continuing improvement. Recent research on improving technical competence and collegiality among teachers offers guidance towards accomplishing…

The first group response on the state of American education from the educational community is reported. These educators agree that debate is healthy, but are concerned that the nation prepare for long-term solutions rather than a "quick fix." (MD)

This paper presents two reactions to the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences' (CBMS') "The Mathematical Education of Teachers" (August 2001). The reactions were written by professors of mathematics at American universities. It is concluded that the report benefits from an underlying assumption that an alliance of concept and…

This response to an article by Donna Kerr (Teachers College Record, Spring 1983) stresses the importance of teacher salaries as a means of attracting talented college graduates to teaching. Teacher effectiveness is greatly influenced by classroom experience. Improving preservice teacher education may have a limited effect on teacher improvement.…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), which provides national data on rates of teacher turnover and sources of supply of new teachers, helped dispel certain myths about U.S. teacher supply and demand and led to concerns over teacher quality instead of teacher shortages as the central staffing issue of the 1990s. (SM)

Explores the role of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) in providing data about teacher quality in U.S. education. SASS findings make it clear that recruiting teachers will do little to help unless ways are found to retain teachers and to understand the social and organizational context of teaching. (SLD)