When Districts Encounter Teacher Shortages: The Challenges of Recruiting and Retaining Mathematics Teachers in Urban Districts

Abstract

Administrators in six urban districts were interviewed to understand the nature and extent of their problems with recruiting and retaining high quality mathematics teachers. Findings suggest that the math staffing challenge is quite complex, and administrators have had to make difficult compromises because of deficiencies in the quantity and quality of candidates. In these districts, supply is tight, demand is high, and competition with other districts is fierce. Three additional sets of factors further exacerbate the staffing challenge: policy factors, organizational factors, and administrators' own views about the qualities necessary to teach successfully in urban schools.