Researcher Skewers Explanations Behind Teacher Shortage
The idea that shortages of teachers across the nation can be attributed largely to a wave of retirements or to surges in student enrollments is a myth, argues a University of Pennsylvania researcher.
Richard M. Ingersoll, an associate professor of education and sociology at the Philadelphia university, based his conclusion on analyses of federal survey data for more than 50,000 teachers nationwide. He presented his findings here last week during the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.
"Yes, it's true student enrollments are going up," Mr. Ingersoll said. "Yes, retirements are going up, and yes, there are school districts out there [that] have trouble finding qualified teachers," he said. "But it's also true that the demand is not due to retirements...
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