Alternative Private Contracting Arrangements and the Changing Nature of the Teaching Profession

• In Event: School Effectiveness and School Improvement in Turbulent Times: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions

Abstract

The paper investigates the rise of nonstandard teaching contracts and their implications for the teaching profession and public school systems globally. It aims to:
1. Define various types of nonstandard contracts.
2. Assess their effects on teacher autonomy, professional development, career trajectories, and the organization of schools.
3. Explore the broader labor market implications, particularly in the context of teacher shortages and evolving employment practices.

Perspective(s) or Theoretical Framework
The analysis is guided by Kalleberg and colleagues’ (2003, p.528) framework of work arrangements, categorizing contracts along dimensions of internalization/externalization, employer type, and employment duration. The framework contrasts standard full-time contracts with flexible, market-mediated nonstandard contracts to examine their effects on teachers' work conditions and school structures.

Authors

• Melanie Ehren, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Ellen B. Goldring, Vanderbilt University

• Marjolein Camphuijsen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• Angela M. Cox, Vanderbilt University