Surveyed certified science and mathematics education graduates to determine reasons why they: (1) never taught; (2) left teaching; or (3) stayed in the profession. Also examined the conditions for attracting these recently certified teachers into teaching. Indicates that no reservoir of talent ready to assume science or mathematics teaching…

With both high retirement and high attrition rates among K?12 teachers and a burgeoning student population nationwide, more teachers are needed. Yet if we are to turn around schools in need of improvement, help all students meet rigorous academic standards, and close the achievement gap, simply getting more teachers into the profession will not…

Although shortages of certified special education teachers occur in both rural and urban areas, they are more critical in rural districts, where recruitment can be problematic and there are few special educators on staff. In response to chronic shortages in the state, the Utah State Office of Education created a critical personnel shortages…

The nation is currently battling a shortage of qualified teacher candidates. An escalating concern beyond the limited pool of candidates is the high attrition rate in many school districts. Today's fledgling teachers are choosing not to follow the pattern of their parents and grandparents who have historically remained at a single job or one…

Nationwide, the shortage of special education teachers is expected to grow, fueled by expanding demand and high teacher attrition rates. The situation in Texas mirrors that of the nation. A needs assessment conducted by Abilene Christian University (ACU) in west central Texas found: a continuing need for special education teachers in the area;…

A survey of 558 teachers in rural schools and districts in British Columbia explored influences on teachers' decisions to enter, remain in, or leave their districts. Important factors in career decisions were the job itself, lifestyle, school district recruiters, financial compensation, social and recreational opportunities, and partner's job. (KS)

This article discusses the results of a survey conducted by the author asking music teachers why they leave their jobs. The author compiled an e-mail survey and sent it to instrumental music teachers who were making plans to leave their jobs for new positions or to leave the music education profession entirely. In order to widen the pool of…

The purpose of this study is to describe the level of administrator support perceived by special education teachers in South Texas. The literature on teacher retention indicates that "lack of administrative support" as an important reason for leaving the profession. This study examined the factors related to administrator support…

The Science and Mathematics Alliance for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers (SMARRT) is a collaborative partnership pursuing aggressive strategies to recruit high quality minority teachers to teach in high-need schools in urban school districts. This partnership is dedicated to recruiting, preparing, and retaining high quality teachers with strong…

In light of shortages of mathematics and science teachers, alternative certification was introduced in the mid-1980s. This study examined the effect of alternative certification among math and science teachers who moved to a different school or left the profession. This was accomplished using the national "SASS" and "TFS"…

This study of 98 special education teachers investigated the reasons for the high attrition of special education teachers in Kentucky. The participants were asked to give three reasons (in no more than one phrase) why in their opinion special education teachers leave special education and choose to teach general education. The most common reason…

Most states have already implemented policies to recruit, select, and retain better teachers. The majority of these policies raise standards for entry or recertification. Another approach provides incentives to attract qualified college graduates into teaching. Offering scholarships in exchange for five-year teaching commitments and offering…

"Quick fixes" and over-reactive policy mandates don't clearly anticipate long-term implications. Examples are given of the negative effects of scholarship/loan programs, career ladders, changing credentialing requirements, and teacher competency testing, originally devised to avoid teacher shortages. (Author/CB)

This paper addresses the role the community college plays and could play in solving the problem of critical teacher shortages across the country. It has been estimated that 2.7 million teaching positions in elementary and secondary schools will need to be filled within the next decade. The problem of teacher shortages is especially acute in rural…

This guide is intended to help education leaders deal with the problem of teacher shortages. It is designed to help community leaders and school officials think strategically about the problems they face with regard to the supply of teachers and help them develop an action plan to address those challenges. The first section provides a conceptual…