Equitable access to capable teachers: The states respond

Abstract

This study examined a sample of plans that states submitted to the U.S. Education Department in 2015, pursuant to requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I, Part A. Plans were aimed at redressing inequities in access to qualified teachers as this problem has emerged in states and districts across the country. A considerable body of research has demonstrated that teachers are inequitably distributed to the disadvantage of low income and historically under-served students. Based on descriptive and inferential coding of these plans, the study reaches several conclusions. First, the federal planning mandate has served as an impetus for developing state data systems that track teacher distributions. Second, many of the strategies states are proposing are not directly relevant, targeted, or fully committed in terms of resources and implementation. Third, in states with highly rated plans, the strategies address fundamental, underlying conditions while offering a comprehensive range of targeted strategies to improve recruitment, support, and retention of teachers in schools serving concentrations of low income and under-served students. Progress on this issue is underway with much that remains to be done.

Equity and Social Justice in Research Practice Partnerships in the United States

“…Upholding the rights of students requires disrupting the resegregation of schools (Orfield & Jarvie, 2020; Wells et al, 2019), addressing inequitable funding for students of poverty and students of color (Morgan & Amerikaner, 2018), eliminating the inequitable distribution of effective teachers (Goldhaber et al, 2018; Lai et al, 2021; Sykes & Martin, 2019), and vanquishing microaggressions (Compton-Lilly, 2020).…”

Pathways to Teaching: The Cluttered Online Infrastructure for Potential Teacher Candidates

“…States are required to discuss their recruitment and distribution of qualified teachers by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Sykes & Martin, 2019). Unfortunately, states are not targeting their efforts to assure teachers work in content areas, schools and urban and rural settings that have continued shortages of qualified teachers (Sykes & Martin, 2019).…”

“…States are required to discuss their recruitment and distribution of qualified teachers by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Sykes & Martin, 2019). Unfortunately, states are not targeting their efforts to assure teachers work in content areas, schools and urban and rural settings that have continued shortages of qualified teachers (Sykes & Martin, 2019). While some states are identified as having higher quality plans related to more equitable funding, improved school leadership and higher wage and scholarship incentives (Sykes and Martin, 2019), the idea of communicating effectively about the realities and the potential within the teaching profession are not discussed.…”