Teacher turnover is significantly higher in hard-to-staff schools, and it is costly. Not only are billions of dollars spent annually to recruit and train new teachers, but students who are denied the best education possible often enter the workforce at a disadvantage. The problem demands strategies that work. This report identifies examples and makes recommendations for policies and programs that have been proven effective: (1) Establishing and maintaining safe and orderly schools, including developing school safety plans and enforcing statewide discipline codes; (2) Targeting professional development to best address the needs of teachers and staff in challenging environments, like strong induction programs, teacher collaboration and effective learning opportunities; (3) Examining recruitment and hiring practices; and (4) Identifying and carrying out school district and state responsibilities, particularly in terms of funding for salaries, incentives and other school improvements. In addition to reviewing and, if necessary, revising selection procedures, including notifications policies and candidate screening, the report recommends improving recruitment through better marketing of the benefits of teaching in hard-to-staff schools. The following are appended: (1) AFT Resolution on Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Hard-to-Staff Schools (approved by the Executive Council on May 16, 2007); and (2) Supportive Contract Language. (Contains 11 figures and 23 endnotes.).

Although states have maintained a focus on recruiting and retaining teachers, many schools and districts still face daunting challenges in ensuring a qualified and competent teaching corps. It is particularly difficult for schools considered hard to staff-those with high concentrations of low-performing, low-income students; high teacher turnover; and relatively high percentages of teachers who are less than fully certified. States are experimenting with numerous strategies for recruiting and retaining teachers, and some of them are trying particularly to help hard-to-staff schools. To date, there is little hard evidence of the impact of many of their efforts. However, some practices appear promising. To help meet the needs of chronically hard-to-staff schools, governors should consider short-and long-term efforts to: (1) Evaluate and assess current strategies by collecting, analyzing, and using better data; (2) Offer a flexible package of financial incentives to meet different local needs, possibly including substantial changes to traditional pay structures; (3) Track, analyze, and improve teacher working conditions, including ensuring strong school leadership, time for teachers to develop their teaching craft, and sufficient materials and resources to teach effectively; and (4) Improve preparation and support for beginning teachers. (Contains 27 endnotes.).

This report examines the difficulties schools encounter as they seek qualified teachers. The paper focuses on the southeastern portion of the United States, using North Carolina as a case study. Emerging teacher shortages in the state have put pressure on administrators to staff classrooms at all costs, weakening the case for high standards for teachers. The problem is particularly acute in hard-to-staff schools, which are typically located in the state's poorest districts. Although financial incentives are important in securing teachers for these classrooms, these schools also need strong leaders who involve teachers in key instructional decisions. Teachers in these schools require like-minded colleagues who are committed to teamwork; additionally, these teachers must have sufficient knowledge and skills to help students learn, and they must be willing to serve as leaders and mentors. Developing "local talent" can help place teachers in hard-to-staff schools, but school systems need to develop a comprehensive recruitment plan when trying to attract teachers. Part of this plan includes collecting and reporting data so that effective strategies can be identified. The paper provides specific recommendations for staffing schools. Some strategies that have been tried in 10 southeastern states are included. (Contains 20 references.).

This thought-provoking collection examines the challenge of teacher shortages that is of international concern. It presents multiple perspectives, and explores the commonalities and differences in approaches from around the world to understand possible solutions for the current teacher workforce crisis. Acknowledging that solutions to attract and retain teachers vary by country, region and in some cases locality, the contributors scrutinise a range of workforce planning interventions at local and government level, including financial incentives and early career support. The book draws on different perspectives to understand a range of problems that negatively affect teacher recruitment and retention, unpicking key challenges, including links between the disadvantages of location and access to teachers for coastal and rural schools, rising pupil numbers, declining school budgets and the role of professional learning in raising teacher status. Abundant in critiques, research-informed positions and context-specific discussions about the impact of teacher workforce supply and shortages, this book will be valuable reading for teacher educators, educational leaders, education policy makers and academics in the field.

Teacher shortages are essentially a problem of distribution (Darling-Hammond, 2001; Ingersoll, 2001; National Association of State Boards of Education, 1998; Olson, 2000; Reeves, 2003; Voke, 2002). According to recent studies, hardest to find are teachers who are both qualified and willing to teach in hard-to-staff schools, which included those in highly urban and rural areas--especially schools serving minority or low-income students. In addition, recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers are intertwined; it's not enough to attract these teachers if concurrent steps are not taken to keep them (Liu, Johnson, & Peske, 2004). Schools need help in building their capacity to attract and maintain a highly qualified teaching staff. Although not all urban and rural schools are hard to staff, those with high numbers of inexperienced and out-of-field teachers, special-needs or English-language-learner students, and poor, minority, and highly mobile students face the toughest recruitment and retention challenges (Jacob, 2007; Monk, 2007; Reeves, 2003; Southeast Center for Teaching Quality, 2002). Also, social and geographic isolation and lower-than-average pay make these schools unattractive to many teachers--leading to an inequitable distribution of teachers as more head to midsized and suburban districts (Levin & Quinn, 2003; Reeves, 2003). The needs of hard-to-staff urban schools are often very different from those of their rural counterparts, and teacher recruitment is no exception. Therefore, recruitment strategies must be targeted to meet the needs of individual districts and schools. Several tips and cautions for policymakers and school leaders to keep in mind are listed in this paper.