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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 1999

News Release

Study Lights Path to Keeping Good Teachers in the Classroom

Twin Pressures of Rising Enrollment and Teacher Shortage

Washington, D.C. -- National Education Association (NEA) President Bob Chase called the study on effective strategies to curb teacher flight released today by Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., "a beacon of insight and information in our quest to attract and retain high quality teachers."

The study -- Learning the Ropes: Urban Teacher Induction Programs and Practices in the United States -- shows that schools, particularly those in urban areas, that use formal programs of training and support for new teachers are highly successful in retaining teachers and giving them the support and tools they need to be successful. The first year of teaching is often considered the make-or-break year, as a high percentage of teachers decide to leave the profession during that initial period.

"This study confirms what common sense and experience have told us all along," said Chase. "The toughest test of all for beginning teachers is the first time they enter the classroom. As educators and policymakers, we ought to channel all the resources we can to help new teachers to not just survive their first year of teaching, but to thrive and succeed in their most important charge -- boosting student achievement."

Chase expressed concern that the tremendous demand for teachers may create pressures to lower standards to fill an estimated two million vacancies over the next decade. At NEA's Representative Assembly earlier this month, delegates approved several new resolutions addressing teacher preparation and professional development. They overwhelmingly approved a resolution that puts the NEA firmly on record endorsing mandatory support systems for new teachers. The resolution calls for all new teachers to have mentors to help them survive and thrive in their first years in the classroom. The policy also states that assistance to new teachers must be no less than one year in duration. Delegates also voted to support stricter guidelines for teacher certification and to strenuously oppose out-of-field teaching assignments, where teachers are required to teach subjects outside their licensed area of expertise.

Chase said National Board Certified teachers can be important role models for new teachers. National Board Certification is a voluntary endeavor teachers take on to improve their teaching skills. Many say it is akin to earning a "blackbelt in teaching."

Speaking before NEA delegates, National Board of Professional Teaching Standards President Barbara Kelley called on educators and policymakers to insist on the highest standards in meeting the demand created by a teacher shortage. "The students in this country cannot afford even one inadequately prepared teacher," said Kelley. "Hospital patients expect doctors to update their skills on a regular basis and to have access to the latest research and best practices. Students should expect no less from their teachers."

NEA has produced a package of products and services provided to beginning teachers to help guide them through first-year difficulties through the Association's just-launched new teacher initiative. The resources include a collection of NEA professional books, Internet tools and a new teacher CD-ROM.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.