Recruiting the Best Teachers to Work with the Neediest Students

Education researchers, leaders, and policymakers have long wrestled with this question: How can we improve student achievement, particularly in the schools that are hardest to staff?

Phi Delta Kappan International (PDK) argues that the top-down reforms imposed on all schools have had little effect on student achievement. The organization “double dog dares” education leaders and policymakers to try a common-sense approach: find ways to increase the number of expert teachers working in hard-to-staff schools.

“Teacher quality is the biggest school-level factor related to the success or failure of students in hard-to-staff schools. Research aside, simple logic tells us that to improve substandard levels of student achievement, more expert teachers must be recruited to these schools,” according to PDK.

But knowing there’s a pressing need doesn’t begin to solve the problem. PDK surveyed expert teachers from Arizona, including National Board Certified teachers, teachers of the year, and teachers who’ve successfully taught in high-needs schools, to see what might convince more of them to take on the challenge of teaching the neediest students. Their answers provide some interesting insight for any district that has to staff high-needs schools.

Expert teachers said they would be encouraged to make a move to a high-needs school under the following circumstances:

• The school must have a high-quality principal who is supportive and committed to student learning. The teachers urged that principals be categorized as “highly qualified” or not, just as teachers are under the No Child Left Behind Act. The majority of teachers felt that the creation of a National Board for Professional Administrator Standards (an equivalent of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) would make them aware of an administrator’s qualifications before making a move.
• The district should offer a higher salary, a promotion, increased benefits, or a signing bonus to teachers willing to take on the challenge. The size of the incentive should reflect the level of student need.
• The school must have a strong cadre of teachers who are caring, knowledgeable, and have high expectations for all students.
• Expert teachers enjoy working with other highly-qualified teachers but also want the chance to help their less-experienced colleagues to develop their skills. Many expert teachers leave the classroom for administrative or specialist positions because they want to have a greater impact on education. Creating opportunities for those teachers might entice them to teach in high-needs schools.

When asked about the factors that would discourage them from teaching in a high-needs school, teachers responded as follows:

• An unsupportive, ineffective principal
• No increase in salary or benefits
• Apprehension about pressure to “teach to the test” to raise test scores

In terms of policy changes, teachers said the highest priority would be to place expert principals in high-needs schools and to provide teachers with higher salaries for harder work.

They also recommended the following policy changes:

• Allowing time for the best teachers in high-needs schools to mentor other teachers and collaborate with one another
• Encouraging teachers and principals to share in the school’s teaching, learning, and leadership responsibilities
• Providing adequate support staff, resources, and access to technology