Beyond the Commission Reports

An analysis of data on teachers indicates coming changes in recruitment and retention of the American teaching force, in the quality of teachers, and in the attractiveness of teaching as a profession. New recruits to teaching are less academically qualified than those who are leaving, and shortages of qualified teachers in subjects such as mathematics and science are expected to grow into a more generalized teacher shortage. Teachers' salaries fall far below those of other professions. Lack of input into professional decision making, overly restrictive bureaucratic controls, and inadequate administrative supports for teaching contribute to teacher dissatisfaction and attrition, particularly among the most highly qualified members of the teaching force. Professionalizing teaching will require a new career structure in which improved preparation and professionally enforced standards of practice are combined with increased responsibility for technical decision making by competent teachers. Upgrading teacher compensation and creating more professional working conditions are part of a structural solution, one that addresses the interrelated causes of the teacher supply and quality problems, rather than merely their symptoms. (JD)