This article discusses how rising student enrollment and a projected wave of teacher retirements will affect the teacher corps. It describes the possible shortage of teachers in the upcoming years as a problem more of specialization than outright shortage. Math and science teachers and special-education teachers will be hardest to find, as will be teachers from minority groups. Some possible remedies to these difficulties include linking teacher standards with salaries, creating national recruitment initiatives, and expanding teacher-education programs in high-need fields. The paper focuses on teacher quality and its vital importance in education. High-quality teachers must have basic skills, must pass licensure tests, and must possess experience. Finding high-quality teachers begins with the hiring process. The best hiring systems identify the teacher skills most wanted in the classroom and validate the selection process to ensure it is effective. Once hired, teachers must be given professional development to help them excel in the classroom and encourage them to remain a teaching professional. School leaders should see staff development as an ongoing process and should enable teachers to become self-directed in a culture that values professional collegial interaction. (Contains 16 references.) (RJM)