RE: Question 1: Attracting and Retaining Teachers

I agree wholeheartedly with Nabcy's comments, and I think there is much to think about here. Good teachers stay because they feel they are part of something important, a school that is doing good work for kids. They have to feel they are part of what is going on, not only in control of their classroom and curriculum, but part of the decision-making process at the school. This not only argues against scripted, state-mandated textbooks and curriculum, but suggests the importance of leadership in the school, and at the district level. Quality in teaching is an affective issue, first and foremost and comes from creativity and innovation at the classroom level. Good teachers have to feel inspired and invested. If they feel overwhelmed and undersupported, they become cynical or disengaged. And this is the critical aspect of recruitment as well - what young person in their right mind would choose a job like teaching if they thought they would be asked to simoply follow a script, with the goal being high scores and performance bonuses! The best teachers work untold hours for the benefit of the children in their care, nothing else.