High turnover at root of teacher shortage

When it comes to finding enough qualified teachers for our nation's classrooms, the issue actually comes down to retention rather than recruitment, according to a new study on the topic. A new report by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future shows that almost a third of new teachers leave the classroom after three years, and that figure rises to close to half after five years. "It's not that too few teachers are entering our schools, it's that too many are leaving," says Tom Carroll, the commission's executive director. "It is as if we are pouring teachers into a bucket with a fist-sized hole in the bottom."

Contrary to some projections, retirements aren't the main factor. The report, "No Dream Denied: A Pledge to America's Children," shows that retiring teachers are outnumbered three to one by teachers leaving for other reasons. This all adds up to more than 250,000 teachers who leave the profession each year, with predictably negative consequences for students and schools. What's more, attrition rates are almost one-third higher in high-poverty urban schools.

The commission, which includes AFT president Sandra Feldman, calls for a national effort to improve teacher retention by 50 percent by 2006. It proposes three strategies to help meet that goal:

• Organize schools for teaching and learning success by creating small professional communities of teachers in school focused on what research says about how children learn. "It is time to end the era of solo teaching in isolated classrooms," the report says. Learning communities work best in small schools, it says, assisted by technology that helps students work on complex concepts and that helps teachers expand their expertise through regular collaboration with their colleagues.

• Insist on high-quality teacher preparation, accreditation and licensure. "We need to focus not on how new teachers are prepared but on how well they are prepared and supported," the report says, criticizing the "futile debate" over the relative merits of traditional and alternative teacher preparation. All teachers should meet the same high standards, no matter what path they pursue. That includes sound academic preparation in their teaching area and solid clinical practice to master their teaching skills. The report calls for licensing based on candidates' performance on tests of subject matter, teaching knowledge and teaching skills.

• Create rewarding professional career paths that include mentoring induction for new teachers and recognition and rewards for accomplished teaching. Every new teacher, the report notes, should be formally linked with an accomplished teacher. Once through that initial stage, teachers should have career paths "that reward sustained professional growth." In addition to better overall teacher salaries, it says, teachers should also receive additional compensation for improving their knowledge and skills, for mentoring and instructional leadership, and for earning National Board certification.

More information about the study is available at www.nctaf.org.

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