Research findings demonstrate that teacher quality is the single most important school variable affecting student achievement. Well-prepared, highly qualified teachers are essential if we are to ensure that all students achieve the high standards necessary for them to lead fulfilling lives and become productive students. The AFT believes it is the union’s responsibility to work to improve teacher quality and enhance the teaching profession.

Teacher Preparation and Licensure
The AFT believes that the best way to bring an adequate supply of well-trained teachers in to the classroom is by bringing higher quality, greater resources, and much more coherence to the way teacher education screens and prepares teacher candidates today—whether those candidates come through traditional four-year programs or alternative routes. More...

Teacher Recruitment & Retention
Research confirms what experience shows. Support and assistance in the initial year of teaching produce teachers who are better equipped for the challenges of the classroom, having a greater likelihood of becoming high-quality teachers, and are more likely to remain in the profession. More...

Professional Development
Continuous, high-quality professional development is essential to the nation's goal of high standards of learning for every child. AFT's support for quality teaching and for putting research into practice makes us a powerful partner in efforts to surround teachers with excellent professional development. More...

National Board Certification
The AFT was among the founding organizations that established the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in 1987. Its mission: To advance the quality of teaching and learning by maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. More...

Teacher Evaluation
While the public and AFT members agree that the overall quality of the teacher workforce is good, both believe that weak or incompetent teachers threaten the reputation of the profession and the quality of education children receive. More...

Professional Compensation
We need a compensation system for teachers that has a competitive base pay and benefits for all, and, when possible, forged through cooperative labor-management relations that include multiple opportunities for teachers to advance along the salary scale in addition to seniority and education level. More...