For people with SMT skills, teaching often means accepting a lower salary than working in the private sector. Many decide to teach simply because they are passionate about teaching and the educational community. Until you can afford to draw people out of industry with six-figure salaries, focus on the unique intangibles that your district can provide. What kind of culture do you cultivate among teachers in your district? Do you offer an appealing, welcoming community? Are teachers overburdened with preparation and teaching? Do you provide support for creativity and initiative? For professional development? And what outreach efforts are you making to let people know about the benefits of teaching in your district?

That said, salaries are important, and they need to be as competitive as possible. The more attractive a wage your district can offer, the more appealing you will be to the best graduates and teaching professionals.

• How important are good teachers to successful SMT programs?
• What is the federal government doing to increase teaching expertise in SMT education?
• What advice do national organizations have for districts that need good SMT teachers?
• How have other districts attracted good SMT teachers?
• How are other districts dealing with teacher shortages?
• How can I get my board talking about this?

How important are good teachers to successful SMT programs?

• A comprehensive report from the Business-Higher Education Forum that also addresses teacher recruitment and retention. 

What is the federal government doing to increase teaching expertise in SMT education?

• Information on how the No Child Left Behind Act addresses teacher quality.
• Other resources from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Federal student loan forgiveness program for teachers (special benefits for science and math teachers).
• An interview with Education Secretary Arne Duncan about science education in general and teachers in particular. The interview also describes new resources that will be available to schools and districts.

•  What advice do national organizations have for districts that need good SMT teachers?

• A detailed paper addressing how to recruit high school math and science teachers from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.
• Opinion article on bonuses for math teachers from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• A description of the Teach for America Math and Science Initiative, a national campaign to bring outstanding math and science teachers to the nation’s lowest-income communities.  
• Joan Abdallah of AAAS offers a brief discussion of strategies for attracting and retaining teachers. [VIDEO]

How have other districts attracted good SMT teachers?

• Recruitment Programs Featured in What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future (1996) (not SMT specific).
• A partnership between the Renton School District in Washington state and Seattle University to increase the quality and quantity of district math teachers.
• The West Contra Costa County school district in California offers affordable housing to teachers.

How are other districts dealing with teacher shortages?

• A Washington Post article about general teacher shortages and what various districts are doing to address them.
• A New York Times article about general teacher shortages and what various districts are doing to address them.  
• A Nevada school district hires from abroad.
• A program in Minnesota which has attracted several highly-rated teachers to their district through a fellowship program.
• A district in South Carolina which has started a program to use professionals with science backgrounds as teachers in their elementary school science laboratories.