Supporting Teacher Preparation and Retention
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The problem: Many school districts struggle to fill teaching positions, especially in high-poverty and rural areas and in specialized fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and special education.When teachers do get to the classroom, they can be overwhelmed by their workloads and feel undersupported and undercompensated, leading to higher turnover rates than among similar working adults.
Insights from RAND’s Survey Panels: Taking the pulse of teachers and principals over time through the State of the Teacher and other surveys helps administrators and policymakers understand
- Teachers’ well-being and intentions to leave their jobs, including teacher pay and feeling overworked.
- Adequacy of math-focused professional learning opportunities and credentials and preparation in the state of Florida.
- Need for preparation programs that help teachers better manage student behavior and address their needs.
- Policies that could increase representation of racial and ethnic minority populations in the teaching workforce, increase recruitment and retention within a school district, and strengthen STEM teaching and learning through micro-credentialing.