Washington, D.C. – The latest NAEP results feel like an alarm that keeps ringing, yet we keep hitting snooze. The sound gets louder, the stakes get higher, and still our children wait for the adults to wake up and act.
Nothing at school can do more to help students succeed than strengthening teacher quality. State and district leaders, teacher prep programs, and education advocates can work together to improve teacher recruitment, preparation, support, diversity, retention, and impact. Here’s how:
- Prepare aspiring teachers with the best instructional methods and give them opportunities to put their skills and knowledge into practice under the supervision of an effective mentor before becoming the teacher of record.
- Set goals and follow through on plans to strengthen the pipeline for aspiring teachers of color and improve their retention rates once they reach the classroom.
- Support all aspiring teachers to pass rigorous content licensure tests to signal they have the knowledge and skills aligned to what students need to know.
- Retain effective teachers by providing fair compensation and benefits that allow teachers to live where they work and support themselves and their families to be healthy and safe.
- Require high-quality curriculum and support teachers with ongoing professional development to use it skillfully.
Ensuring students have great teachers will improve their school experiences and life prospects. It’s time to wake up and invest in the highly effective and diverse teacher workforce our students deserve.
— NCTQ President Heather Peske
January 2025