Developing the teacher workforce

"Developing the Teacher Workforce argues that teacher workforce development should evolve from the nature and function of teachers' work and should be considered from a career-long developmental perspective. Workforce development takes place across levels of a nested system, from the level of the individual teacher, to groups of teachers, to schools, to school systems, to broader social and policy contexts. Workforce development is not simply a problem of developing individual teachers, but developing groups of teachers in contexts. The most effective way to promote such development is through a system of strategies, coherent and mutually reinforcing across levels, from recruitment and retention, to pre-service education, to induction, to professional development, to compensation and incentives, to supervision and evaluation, to work design and union involvement initiatives. Attention to one strategy alone is unlikely to foster change, and conflict or misalignment of strategies across levels will provide further obstacles." "A more effective teacher workforce will require new and clear expectations, non-traditional alliances, innovation and coordination, and a commitment to ongoing evaluation and discussion, while also meeting the needs of teachers as professionals committed to their own growth. Schools and their personnel have traditionally resisted reform, but it is clear that states and politicians are increasingly willing to weigh in on preparing, credentialing, and compensating teachers, as well as supporting initiatives such as charter schools, alternative certification, and "teacher-proof" curriculums. It is imperative that those who influence teachers and teaching, whether through teacher preparation, human resource, or administrative decisions, or involvement in the teaching environment, begin to move beyond traditional roles to make connections for creating and sustaining a system that can best supply capable teachers to all our schools."--Jacket.