Teacher Recruitment Author(s): John M. Hough, Jr. Source: The High School Journal, Vol. 50, No. 7 (Apr.

, 1967), pp. 357-363 Published by: University of North Carolina Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40365938 . Accessed: 10/02/2014 23:13
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TeacherRecruitment
John M. Hough, Jr.
Mars Hill College

was defined by JeromeM. Page as "the Teacher recruitment to increase the numbersof qualified personswho would be effort of teachers willing to accept teachingpositions/'1The recruitment is becomingan increasingly importantissue. The Review of Educational Research, in its latest issue which reviews recruitment, made the following plea: The most importantproblem pertainingto recruitment is obtainingenoughqualified teachersforthe ever-increasing multitudeof childrenin the nation's schools. School populations are expected to increase by approximately1 million each year for at least a decade. This increase requires an annual addition of nearly 50,000 teachers. Since approximately 150,000 teachersretirefromor leave the profession each year, a constant annual need for 200,000 additional teachthereare 90,000-100,000 teachersexists. Furthermore, teachers who need ers withsubstandardteachingcredentialsto acquire additional trainingas soon as possible. Research needed.2 on recruitment problemsis desperately The problemhas not been solved. The Septemberissue of the North Carolina Education magazine reported there were 1600 to 2000 teachingvacanciesin North Carolina alone. It also reported that school systems were beggingfor in newspaperadvertisements certificates.3 In view of this situation teacherswith sub-standard of recruitment the history of would like to reviewbriefly the writer teachers. in the high schools was not a major issue in Early recruitment teachereducationbeforeWorld War II because therewas an oversupply of people wanting to become teachers. Even before this to enterthe time therewas a problemin gettingthe best prospects teaching profession.Frazier in the Biennial Surveyof Education statedthe problem as follows: for 1928-1930
The Journalof Teacher forTeacherRecruitment/' M. Page, "Organization 1. Jerome X (June,1959), 134-135. Education, of Prospective and Selection and "Recruitment 2. GlennW. Durflinger, Elementary XXXIII (October, Reviewof EducationalResearch, SchoolTeachers," 1963), Secondary 355. 3. GlennKeever,"We Told You So," NorthCarolinaEducation,LXI (September, 1966), 4.

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to feelthatselectiveadmisare beginning Teacher trainers sion to be effective should begin in the secondaryschools. a most The beliefis held that the high schoolscould perform valuable serviceby setting guidance proup a thoroughgoing grambeginningearlyin the student'swork. Such a program could be used to recruit good material for teaching as well to discourage the unfit.4 Eliassen stated that it was during this period that the better institutionsbegan to set up selective admission teacher-training The included good scholarshipin high requirements. requirements an test school, averageintelligence score,good health and emotional a and pleasing personality based on an interview.There stability, were problemswith this type of selectionbecause therewas a low correlationbetween the scholarshiprequirementsand the intelligence test scores and teaching success.5 Eliassen believed there should be furtherstudy and research in four areas before high school teachers can guide students effectively into the teaching profession: 1. A more scientific evaluation of what constitutes teaching success. of qualities or factorsrequisite 2. Careful determination for or related to teachingsuccess. 3. Improvementof techniques for measuring these factors and thus insure higher reliabilityin the predictionof teachingsuccess. 4. Articulationbetweenhigh school and teacher-training institutions in the guidance of high-schoolstudents.6 In line with this selectiveadmissionfromhigh schools,a study in 1945 recommendedthat high school teachersshould encourage their best studentsto enter teachingby presenting it as an attractive and challengingprofession.More FutureTeacher Clubs should be organized,and interesting moviessuch as "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" should be shown. Students interestedin teaching should be allowed to visit teacher-training but most importantthe institutions, and schools should hire elementary secondary capable and inspiring teachers. This is probably the most importantinfluenceon students who decide to become teachers. Again, this study was con-

4. BenjaminW. Frazier, "Professional Educationof Teachers,"Biennial Surveyof of Education,Bulletin,1931, No. 20, VolumeI Education,1928-1930, U. S. Office Government (Washington: Printing Office, 1932), p. 510. 5. R. H. Eliassen, "Pre-Training of Teachers,"EducationalAdministration Selection and Supervision TeacherTraining, XIX (March,1933), 169. including 6. Ibid.

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cerned about the researchneeded in the prediction of teaching success.7 Then came the for full participationin recruitment. Necessity entrance of the United States into World War II in 1941, and graduallythe problem changed froman oversupplyof teachersto an undersupply.As a resultof this,recruitment became the problem it remains today in teacher education. This is emphasized in what was written in 1945 by Alice K. Lewis in an articlein the New York State Education magazine. She emphasizedthe seriousness of the problem in the followingstatements: We are facedwith an alarmingshortage of teachers.This shortageis bound to become more acute in the immediate future,and will be disastrousto our democraticsocietyin the years to come unless everyonerealizes the seriousness in remedying of the situationand assumeshis responsibility it. ... Right now more teachersare needed to fill the vain the State than are available. . . . cancies in the classrooms The great problem facingus in teachereducation is to preteachersto fillthe needs of the State. In order pare sufficient have the studentsto educate. The to do this,we must first problem of recruitingenough of the right type of young people to prepare for the teaching professionfaces all of us. ... Can we not see the gravityof the situation in its present state? The country'sschools must be staffedif is to live.8 democracy that in order to recruiteffectively all agencies must She suggested not just the teacherscolleges. The comshare the responsibility, of teachers,and munitiesmust provide a favorable environment the state legislaturemust provide adequate salaries. Administramustbe willingto talk moreabout the advantages torsand teachers and high school guidance personnelneed to stress of the profession, of teachingto high school the need forteachersand the importance students.Local groups,both serviceclubs and educational organizations,can help in various waysin this endeavor.9 The School Review in an editorial in the same year stated as follows: the large and preparingeffectively The task of recruiting number of capable teachers required to fill the needs of

of TeachersDuring Selection 7. R. H. Eliassen and RobertL. Martin,"Pretraining 1940-1943."Journalof Educational Research,XXXVIII (May, 1945), 671. in Teacher an Issue as 8. Alice K. Lewis, "Recruitment Education,"New York XXXII (February, State Education, 1945), 335-336,394. 9. Ibid.

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and most acute probschools represents one of the foremost lems in Americaneducation.10 In the same article it was suggestedthat many agencies must participate in the recruitmentof prospective teachers, but most workin thisarea should be done by highschoolprincipalsand their teachingstaffs. of the VesterMulholland in his studyon "The Administration in Education North Carolina" Teacher of UndergraduateProgram mentioned the activitiesof Delta Kappa Gamma, national education societyfor women, and Phi Delta Kappa, national education Both recognizedthe formen, in the area of recruitment. fraternity as did other educational and service need for active recruitment organizations.11 Phi Delta Kappa appointed a committeeto studyrecruitment in 1946. In mentioningthe appointmentof the committee,the followingstatementwas made in Phi Delta Kappan: "Phi Delta of selected men Kappa is committedto a programof recruitment for the profession in particular."12 In Teacher Education for a Free People published by the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education, there was great interestin betterrecruiting. It is emphasized that rewhich includes parents of cruitingmust be a cooperative effort and students, high-school organizations, college alumni, professional school faculties.13 and college high that the states JeromePage found in a study on recruitment were beginningto participateactivelyin teacherrecruitment. The main way in which the stateswere doing this was throughthe organizations of Future Teacher of America Clubs in the high schools and state-affiliated on the college professional organizations campuses.14 Recommendations for recruiting.Lindley J. Stiles in an article and Supervisionstated that: in Educational Administration of studentsespecially ... a positiveprogramof recruitment should for teachers be carriedon by well-qualified becoming universitiesin order to insure society the best possible teachersforyouth. Such a programshould include: (1) the

10. RobertJ. Maaske, "Recruitment for Teaching,"The School Review,LIII (November, 1942), 505. 11. Vester M. Mulholland, of the Undergraduate "The Administration Programof TeacherEducationin NorthCarolina" (unpublished Doctor'sdissertation, of University NorthCarolina,ChapelHill, N. C, 1946), pp. 177-182. of Teacher,"Phi Delta Kappan, XXVII (January, 12. "Recruitment 1946), 33. 13. Donald P. Cottrell, Editor,TeacherEducationfor a Free People (Oneonta,New York: The American of Colleges forTeacherEducation).t>d.323. 324. Association 14. Page, op. cit., 136-156.

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and Selection of Prospective Teachers J. Stiles,"Recruitment 15. Lindley High-School and Supervision Administration Educational IncludingTeacherTrainby Universities," 1946), 121. ing, XXXII (February, The Improveon TeacherEducation, of the Commission Chairman 16. E. S. Evenden, Councilon Education,1946), The American mentof TeacherEducation(Washington: p. 265.

the teachingprofession concerning providingof information and the encouraging of superior high-schoolstudents to choose teachingas a profession; (2) providingscholarships for needy but capable studentswho desire to prepare for and group and inditeaching; (3) givingorientationcourses, vidual guidance to informlower-division studentsabout the offered and of the by the teachingprofession opportunities of need for competentteachers; and (4) the administering testsand teachingaptitude testsin order vocationalinterests who are considering to help students teachingas a career to for the profession.16 determinetheir own fitness for recruitment within This studyincluded recommendations the colleges and universities. Teachers colleges did not have to within the colleges,but this bebe concernedabout recruitment and schools of came a great concern for education departments or universities. arts liberal The probwithin education colleges Commission Teacher Eduthe on lem receivedsome attentionby cation of the AmericanCouncil on Education in theirfinalreport. The reportstated that colleges involved in teachereducation can on theircampuses. One of the probrecruitment engage in effective lems is that facultymemberssometimesdiscouragestudentsfrom enteringteachereducation because of theirprejudicestowardeducation as a disciplineand the public schools. The education faculty membersneed to findways to alleviate this situation.16 A resumeof the views of the Commissionconcerning recruiting is expressedin the followingseven statements: to recruitable youngmen and women for the 1. It is necessary teaching professionand to recruit them systematically. 2. Institutionspreparing teachers should distributeas widely as possible accurate information regardingthe profession. should be encouragedto take of the profession 3. All members for recruiting. responsibilities betweenhigh school and of the disagreements 4. A settlement and the academic and the education teachers professors college in would recruitingcompetentyoung men and help professors women. 5. Bettervocationalguidance at the high school level is needed. 6. A greateremphasis on service to mankind rather than mais needed. terial well-being

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7. All persons, including the members of the professionand laymen, should cooperate to reduce the menial tasks in teaching and to reduce the unwholesomepressureson teachers.17 for imSeveral individuals and groups have made suggestions as Mulholland such the recruitment of the teachers, by study proving and held at Miami Beach in 1953,19 made in 1946,18 a conference a studyof teachereducation in North Carolina in 1959-1961.L. R. Kilger summarized twenty-eight approaches he found to recruit teachersin 1957.20Probablythe most importantstudyin this area on Teacher was reportedin April 1965 by the National Commission Education and Professional Standards. The reportwas made by a Induction, and Student Special Study Committeeon Recruitment, recruitment The first studied efforts committee by all the Programs. in discovered Teachers of America and that the Future professions the high schools and the Student National Education Association levels than in the colleges were betterorganizedat theirrespective organizationsmaintained by other professions.21 the precedingparagraph,the committee As can be gatheredfrom the studentgroupsin high studied in studying primarily recruiting school and colleges. This was done because it was believed these at theselevels. The findings groups are the bestmeans of recruiting in the indicated the Future Teachers groups were much stronger Education the colthan Associations were in schools Student high needed recommendations were the leges. Among improvements at the state and national levels,but one of the main concernswas the selectionof the local chapteradviser. There was need forqualified personswith released time for this duty.22 has come to The writer,in making this study of recruitment, several conclusions. The most importantconsiderationin the rein the classroom.If theypresent is theteachers of teachers cruitment the image they should, many young people will want to imitate them. In order to presentthis image theymust know theirsubject and be dedicated have a genuine concernfortheirstudents, matter, are recruited because they to the teachingprofession.Some students had poor teachers,but most are recruitedbecause theyhad good teachers.
17. Ibid., pp. 74-75. 18. Mulholland, op. cit., pp. 472-474. TeacherShortages," 19. "Suggested to Alleviate The Journalof Teacher Adjustments IV Education, (December, 1953, 283-285. 20. L. R. Kilzer, "Some Devices Used to Recruit Teachers,"Phi Delta Kappan, XXXVII (April,1957), 275-276. 21. Buford L. Stefflve, on ReReport of the Special Study Committee Chairman, cruitment, Induction,and the Study Programs (Washington:NationalEducationAs3-4. sociation, 1965), pp. 22. Ibid., pp. 4-23.

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must attemptto presenta better Second, the whole profession picture of teaching. The constant complaints by teachers about theirlot in life have tended to cause the public to look down on teachers. Teachers need to approach teachingin a more positive with laymen. mannerparticularly Third, secondaryschool counselorsneed to encourage the best youngpeople to enterthe profession. Fourth, Future Teachers of America Clubs need to be organized in each secondary school with outstanding teachers as sponsors. Fifth,colleges and in particular college teachersregardlessof theirdisciplinesneed to promoteteachereducationprograms. The all-institutional approach to teacher education should encourage this throughactual participationin teacher education programs. Sixth, Student Education Associationsshould be organized in each institutionof higher education with outstanding teachers as advisers. mustbe organizedto chalSeventh,teachereducation programs students must and selective be lenge enough to encourage the best to enterthe profession. students Eighth, colleges and secondaryschools should cooperate with the statein settingup the best studentteachingprograms possible to encouragestudentsto stay in teaching. Ninth, the state should do its part by providinggood scholarships for prospective teachers, better salaries, adequate fringe benefits,and the setting in which teachers can do their best teaching. must interviewprospectiveteacherson Tenth, schools systems the college campusesin order to show theirinterest in having these studentsin the profession. must unite at all levels and must have the coThe profession of public agencies if it is to recruitenough qualified operation in the future. There is a crisis in education due to the people and this will produce a crisisin other areas. of teachers shortage has expressedit in the following:"If America exJack Bogford the build Great to a quality Societyin the immediatefuture, pects for must be all the citizens. education provided Having an abundant supply of qualified teachers for the schools is a necessary to quality schools."23 prerequisite
23. Jack Bogford, "QualityTeachersfor Our Elementary Schools,"The Journalof XVII (Pall, 1966), p. 311. TeacherEducation,

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