The study examines data from surveys and interviews with teacher candidates and local education mentors at a Midwestern university who were involved in a Grow Your Own program; this article focuses on results for the teacher candidates. Using data based on demographics, financial need, and academic performance, the researchers identified eight…

Only two percent of teachers in the United States are African American males (Wallace & Gagen, 2019). If this trend continues, the vast majority of students in America will never encounter an African American male teacher (Burns Thomas, 2020). The purpose of this research study was to explore the motivations and obstacles that African American…

The academic achievement of Black boys in the U.S. has been declining, and Black male mentorship can positively change these outcomes. Schools have tried many interventions to help Black boys receive the academic, social, and emotional support they need to close the performance gap. Some case studies have proven that Black male mentorship works.…

Nationally, schools in the United States struggle to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. Previous research supports using teacher pedagogy training and mentorship to increase retention. This study examines the use of mentorship in a high school Grow Your Own teacher training program and student career selection. The action research study…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to gain insight into the factors that influence male elementary teachers' decisions to remain in the classroom. Eight current male elementary classroom teachers with at least 5 years of experience were interviewed regarding their lived experiences as male elementary school teachers. The…

Effective recruitment and retention strategies of teachers remain elusive for school districts. This study examines the pilot implementation of a year-long teacher residency program throughout four high-needs districts. This program embeds eight residents in these schools and provides various teacher preparation supports to support these beginning…

This paper discusses a teacher residency model that has been collaboratively developed with a mid-sized urban school district struggling with high teacher turnover and a mid-sized university working to support our partner district and provide beneficial clinical experiences for our candidates. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of…

Disruptions due to the pandemic present partnership opportunities for districts and educator preparation programs (EPPs) to strengthen the educator workforce and support student learning. This document share ways that states, districts, and EPPs can collaborate during recovery from COVID-19 to strengthen systems and relationships. These include:…

Teacher numbers are dwindling in schools and districts across the United States as many leave the profession and the popularity of teacher education programs wanes. As a result, the most qualified candidates can choose from an array of professional options. How do you make sure they will want to commit to your school? In "Make Your School…

Like many districts across the U.S., Miami-Dade County Public Schools is experiencing a large number of open staff positions due to higher-than-normal numbers of retirements and resignations in the face of COVID-19 coupled with enrollment declines in local universities' education departments. The district, in partnership with New Teacher Center,…

Addressing teacher shortages is essential to ensure all students have qualified educators who can guide their learning. This Spotlight will help readers learn what teachers say makes their jobs more difficult; review data measuring trends in teachers' job satisfaction; explore strategies for effective special education staffing; discover what…

Background/purpose: There exists a desire to provide schoolteachers with mentors. In English schools, school-based mentors are mandatory for schools participating in Initial Teacher Education and the Early Career Framework. The purpose of this study is to highlight the need for a professional mentoring capacity within schools without burdening…

Purpose: There is some evidence to suggest that the historical challenge associated with recruiting and retaining Black and Brown Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) collegians is tied to early their teaching and learning experiences in Mathematics. This paper describes an National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project (NSF…

Across the nation, there is a shortage of teachers who reflect the demographics of students. Even though the teaching workforce has diversified nationally in recent decades, teachers from diverse backgrounds, when attracted, depart schools at a significantly higher rate than white teachers (Ingersoll, Merrill, Stuckey & Collins, 2018). Over…

School districts and educator preparation programs are important partners in the professional learning ecosystem. Their strong relationships have long been lauded as the gold standard of preparing and retaining high-quality teachers, yet they have been slow to develop robust reciprocal relationships that can address intensifying challenges of…