Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Shortages

​​Students need and deserve a diverse corps of highly skilled teachers. Yet providing all students with equitable access to well-prepared teachers has long been a struggle in U.S. schools. Teacher turnover rates are high, and shortages have grown across the country, particularly in several key subjects and in schools serving higher populations of students of color and students from low-income families. This lack of qualified teachers hurts student outcomes and well-being, disproportionately affecting underserved students.

Research identifies a number of effective strategies for attracting—and keeping—a diverse and high-quality teacher workforce. Federal and state policymakers, schools, and districts are adopting evidence-based strategies to recruit and retain talented educators, including policies and practices to:

• make teaching careers more attractive and available, especially to diverse candidates;
• utilize innovative high-retention pathways into teaching; and
• improve teaching and learning conditions.