Keeping Good Teachers

What attracts good teachers and keeps them in the profession? What makes schools better places for students to learn and for teachers to work? These questions are at the heart of Keeping Good Teachers. To answer them, many of the authors in this book have surveyed fellow educators to find out which practices and policies are most beneficial and practical to implement in schools. The book is divided into five sections: • Part I explores the extent of the teacher shortage and sets the context for studying it. • Part II concentrates on induction, tackling the issue of how new teachers should be introduced to their profession. • Part III looks at the issues of compensation, performance-based pay, career paths, national certification, and other ways to reward educators and make them feel valued. • Part IV describes the role of principals and administrators in sustaining teachers. • Part V discusses the needs and desires of master teachers. Like its predecessor A Better Beginning: Supporting and Mentoring New Teachers (ASCD 1999), Keeping Good Teachers is dedicated to all those who want to make their profession the best it can be by creating the conditions where good teachers can thrive.