Examining Sources of Influence in Teacher Hiring: Race, Student Teaching, and Teacher Involvement

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Teachers are important, representing school districts’ largest financial expenditure and determinants of student achievement. Policymakers and researchers agree that the struggle for equal education is a struggle for civil rights and social justice, and teachers are essential to this. Because of the high costs of teacher turnover and the problems associated with termination, the stakes are high for initial hiring decisions. The three papers in this symposium address the extent to which race, student teaching placement, and teacher involvement play a role in the hiring, distribution, and workforce outcomes of teachers at the district, state and national levels through innovative data and rigorous, empirical research. Susan Moore Johnson, an expert in teacher career decisions, will serve as discussant.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Division L - Section 6: Human Capital and School Finance

Chair

• Susan M. Johnson, Harvard University

Papers

• Where Are All the Black Teachers? Discrimination in the Education Labor Market - Diana D'Amico, George Mason University; Penelope M. Earley, George Mason University; Robert Pawlewicz, George Mason University; Adam McGeehan, George Mason University

• Does the Match Matter? Exploring Whether Student Teaching Experiences Affect Teacher Career Paths and Effectiveness - Dan Goldhaber, American Institutes for Research; John Krieg, Western Washington University; Roddy Theobald, American Institutes for Research

• Teacher Involvement in Hiring: Changes Over Time - Marisa A. Cannata, Vanderbilt University; Mimi Engel, Vanderbilt University

Discussant

• Susan M. Johnson, Harvard University