Teacher Recruitment

Abstract

This study investigates the historical and contemporary factors contributing to a teacher shortage. The researcher surveyed 150 administrators from city, village, and supervisory district schools in New York State. Despite many inconsistent/incomplete responses, the researcher was able to determine that high teacher turnover was related, in part, to gender and location factors. Female teachers left the profession in higher numbers than male teachers for family reasons, while teachers of both genders left to find better paying employment in industry. The researcher reports administrators’ proposed solutions for dealing with the teacher shortage, including: higher salaries, recruiting young people to the profession, improved community attitudes towards teachers and teaching, and promoting teaching as a prestigious profession by raising certification standards. The researcher also proposes improving teacher efficacy by employing the use of technology and teacher aides.