The only organization dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education.

September 2022Volume 22, No. 3
Equipping Teachers


There is no profession with a greater impact on our collective future than teaching. It is at once a creative pursuit and an awesome responsibility. However, teaching is a complex pursuit. What works for one student may not work for another. And education leaders have neither perfected nor aligned ways in which they recruit, develop, support, and reward teachers to reach optimum results.

Long before the pandemic, teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention topped the list of NASBE members’ priorities for better information to guide state board policymaking and convening. The authors in this issue answer that call with diverse perspectives on policies affecting educators and the school systems where they work.


Equipping Teachers



Five Trends Shaping the Teaching Force

By Brandon Harrison, Daniel Stuckey, Elizabeth Merrill, Gregory Collins and Richard M. Ingersoll

State policymakers looking to increase recruitment and retention should keep an eye on these long-term trends.





The Uneven Landscape of Teacher Preparation

By Leslie T. Fenwick

State statutes impede students' equitable access to profession-ready teachers.





A Data-Driven Approach to Staffing Schools

By Hannah Putman and Heather Peske

Lowering teacher standards may fail to solve actual pipeline problems and can create new ones.





Licensure Tests as Barriers to the Profession

By Victoria Van Cleef

States should explore better means of assessing teachers' classroom readiness.






Teacher Preparation for Whole-Child Design

By Jennifer DePaoli and Ryan Saunders

State leaders have a role in ensuring that educator preparation both models and reflects the science of learning and development.





Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Missouri

By Paul Katnik

State leaders commit to efforts to attract and keep teachers in the classroom.





Ensuring Equity in Grow-Your-Own Programs

By Conra D. Gist

State-level criteria for programs' design can yield better outcomes in preparing and retaining diverse teachers.





Creating State Education Systems That Value Student Cultures

By Tanji Reed Marshall and William Rodick

State boards can set the stage for learning environments that connect and engage all students.






Preparing Pre-K Teachers: Policy Considerations and Strategies

By Amaya Garcia and Cara Sklar

Four practices to increase the pool of skilled early educators stand out as promising.






Opinion



Image Credit: iStock

State Board Voice: Educator Mental Health

By Wendy Turner

Educators live at the intersection of policy, practice, and people.





Young black man speaking on panel. Image credit: iStock

Student Voice: Three Ways to Boost Student Engagement with State Boards

By Juliana Lopez and Liv Birnstad

Student members can conduct outreach through talking casually to students in school.





Microphones on a table. Image credit: iStock

We the Media: Changing the Narrative

By Renée Rybak Lang

State boards can use their forums to show how rewarding and impactful teaching can be.





From the President’s Pen: Celebrate Teachers

By Paolo DeMaria

There is enough evidence to point us to better ways of ensuring that every student has a great educational experience every day.







Featured Items

Multiracial group of teachers walking in school hallway. Image credit: iStock i

Strengthening the Principal Pipeline through State Leadership Academies

Missouri, Delaware, and North Carolina have developed evidence-based professional learning for current and prospective school leaders to increase their effectiveness and reduce turnover.
Credit: istock i

State Advances in Early Childhood Education Seed Plans for 2024

In 2023, several states made significant strides toward universal pre-K, increased funding and support for early educators, and improved literacy and math instruction.
Business people sitting on books. Image credit: iStock i

Curriculum That Counts

Authors in this issue of the Standard draw lessons from a spectrum of state policies that are being used to increase the adoption of high-quality curriculum.

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