Concerned about retention and recruitment of teachers, principals, and administrators, Learning First Alliance member organizations are looking to build stronger pipelines and supports for these critical roles in student learning. The Educator Pipeline discusses the challenges each profession faces, and why this issue is key to our nation’s economic future. Read more
To build a world-class educational system, America needs outstanding teachers. But how do we entice exceptional candidates into the teaching pipeline and recruit them in the states and districts that need them most? Why are there teacher surpluses in some areas and extreme shortages in others? In this month’s issue Read more
According to new research conducted by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the nation is staring at a serious teacher deficit that is only going to get worse unless steps are taken now to address it. The analysis, “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S.,” Read more
Teacher compensation matters for attracting and retaining effective educators, however, the U.S. pays teachers less than most industrialized countries pay their teachers. The Education Commission of the States recently released an overview of the various approaches to teacher compensation being used by American states as well as a summary of Read more
Tara Kini and Anne Podolsky of the Learning Policy Institute, ask, “Do teachers plateau early in their career or do they continue to grow and improve as they gain experience?” Through a review of research, these authors reexamine this critical question using advanced research methods. Based on a review of Read more
Beginning educators who participate in teaching residency programs (TRPs) are more likely to remain in the same school district than teachers trained through other programs, according to research from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). A new report from ED’s National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) examines Read more
The critical issue of teacher shortages is often featured in today’s news headlines. Whether a shortage exists varies from state to state as do the root causes and the approaches states are taking to address the issue. To support policymakers, Education Commission of the States conducted extensive research on the Read more
A recent Education Week blog written by teacher Justin Minkel offers up a counterpoint to those articles that explain why teachers leave the profession. He begins with a poignant introduction: I groan each time another “Why I Quit Teaching” story pops up in my Facebook feed. These columns by teachers who decided to Read more
When teachers leave teaching, where do they go next? Are they getting good jobs outside of education? Or are subsequent jobs more of a lateral move? Do teachers who quit teaching also quit working? A recent article by the Brookings Institute takes a look at several data sources to see Read more
A recent Education Week blog by Marc Tucker examines what it truly takes to get a first-rate teacher in front of every student, and compares the United States systems to the rest of the world. Some experts estimate that half of those who start a career in teaching are gone in Read more
Is there really a teacher shortage? This question is a complex one and it is not easily answered. A recent analysis of the data of the teaching landscape by the Education Policy Center at the American Institutes for Research, shows that the shortages may not be as large as previously Read more
This past fall, Roxanna Elden, author of the book See Me After Class, began offering teachers a lifeline. Aware that many teachers leave their jobs mid-year, she began offering what she called a Disillusionment Power Pack: an email subscription service that would send teachers constant notes of encouragement and reflection Read more
To create the excellent and equitable education that America’s students deserve, teachers must work to prepare students for a competitive, globalized market. As a result, we are asking more from our teachers than ever before. Yet we continue to provide them with preparation, training, and pay that aren’t designed to Read more
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recently released the 2015 report on State Teacher Policy. The report summarizes how the states are doing in developing policies that improve the teaching profession. The 2015 State Teacher Policy Yearbook provides a 360-degree analysis of every state law, rule, and regulation that Read more
The National Council of Education Statistics (NCES) has released Public School Teacher Autonomy in the Classroom Across School Years 2003–04, 2007–08, and 2011–12. This report traces the feelings of public school educators when it comes to their own autonomy in the classroom. According to the report brief, larger percentages of teachers Read more
Teaching residency programs are a model of teacher preparation in which prospective teachers complete graduate-level coursework alongside a year-long fieldwork experience in the district in which the prospective teacher will be hired. The fieldwork experience allows the prospective teacher to practice the craft of teaching and take on increased teaching Read more