Teacher shortages will become more commonplace in school districts throughout the United States during the next decade. Here are some Web sites to help you examine who teachers are, where the shortages are, and how educators can recruit and educate new teachers.
The Face of Education
Who are the teachers? The National Center for Education Statistics' Digest of Education Statistics, 1999 (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/Digest99/Chapter2.html) provides a demographic overview of today's teachers. Statistics show, for example, that more than 70 percent of teachers—but only 35 percent of principals—are women. Beyond demographic data, the Center investigates teacher preparedness in Teacher Quality: A Report on the Preparation and Qualifications of Public School Teachers (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999080/index.htm). For a peek into the future for teachers, read Projections of Education Statistics to 2010 (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/projections/chapter5.html).
More Minority Teachers
Where are the teachers of color? Educational Leadership author Olaf Jorgenson (p. 64) argues that there is a crucial need for more minority teachers and that schools must alter their recruitment methods to address this need. The National Education Association (NEA) Web site provides additional advice and strategies for recruiting and retaining minority teachers (www.nea.org/recruit/minority), including initiatives by historically black colleges and universities and programs for moving paraprofessionals into teaching careers.
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) (www.aacte.org) also offers information and resources for recruiting minority teachers. AACTE is coordinating several efforts to train and recruit more teachers of color, including the AACTE–Metropolitan Life Foundation Institute on Culturally Responsive Practice (www.aacte.org/Research/met_life_resp_practice.htm) and the Ford Foundation Minority Teacher Project (www.aacte.org/Multicultural/ford_minority_teachers.htm).
Educating Prospective Teachers
What is the state of teacher education? Alternative routes to teaching are increasingly popular, but most teachers still come from traditional teacher education programs. At the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Web site (www.ncate.org), you can search a state-by-state list of accredited programs (www.ncate.org/accred/list-institutions/the_list.htm) and link to descriptions of the accreditation requirements for 17 program areas (www.ncate.org/standard/programstds.htm), including early childhood education, technology education, and special education.
In addition to supporting NCATE's requirements, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) makes its own recommendations for improving teacher education and teacher quality (www.aft.org/about/resolutions/2000/teacheredandqual.html). AFT's resolutions address such issues as entrance requirements for teacher education programs, standards for subject-matter knowledge, and increased funding for teacher preparation.
For a more global view of teacher preparation, the U.S. Department of Education has compiled An International Comparison of Teacher Education (www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed436486.html). This report summarizes the education, training, and clinical experience required in several countries, including the United States, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the People's Republic of China.
Teacher education also has become an international priority for the 14 member nations of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Education Network (www.apec.edu.tw/111.html). The Web site includes standards for learning (www.apec.edu.tw/ef1.html), which specify "paying attention to appropriate standards for teacher education and professional development," and a report by EL author Linda Darling-Hammond, Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in APEC Members: A Comparative Study(www.apec.edu.tw/ef9.html).
Finding New Teachers
Where can we find new teachers, and how can aspiring teachers find jobs? For those looking to hire new teachers—or to enter the field of teaching—Recruiting New Teachers (www.rnt.org) offers help. The site explores traditional and alternative pathways to teaching and hosts the National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse, a resource for high school and college students, prospective teachers, administrators, and minorities (www.recruitingteachers.org).
