Developing the Teacher Workforce

Abstract

This volume offers a systemic perspective on teacher workforce development, drawing on views that reflect local, district, and national concerns about issues such as diversity in the workforce, recruitment and retention of teachers, effective professional development and compensation, and the of these workforce initiatives on teacher quality and student achievement. The authors argue that current ways of thinking are inadequate for the nature of the work and future demands because of the neglect of context, the lack of understanding of teacher career stages, and disregard of the ripple effect of educational policy. A coherent, cohesive approach must replace the fragmented and autonomous efforts that predominate today. The volume's authors demonstrate that until a more seamless and comprehensive human resource system is employed, widespread improvements in teacher quality are unlikely and the quality of learning will itself remain compromised.