DoubleTakeDoubleTake
Research Alert
Profile of the U.S. Teacher
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the United States currently has approximately 3. 2 million
K– 12 public school teachers. Here’s
what a recent report, Profile of
Teachers in the U.S. 2011, had to say
about them.
Who They Are Younger teachers are coming into teaching as those with 25 or more years of experience retire. In 2011, n 26 percent of public school teachers had five or fewer years of teaching experience, up from 18 percent in 2005.
n 17 percent of public school teachers had 25 or
more years of experience, down from 27 percent in 2005.
n 22 percent of teachers were under the age of 30, up from
11 percent in 2005.
Teaching is still dominated by females ( 84 percent) and
whites ( 84 percent), although more people of color are
entering the ranks, especially through alternate routes.
Where They Come From
Whereas 95 percent of teachers with 25 or more years of experience came into teaching through university-based programs,
a substantial 39 percent of teachers with five or fewer years of
teaching experience in 2011 entered teaching through alternative teacher preparation programs.
Alternate routes have begun to alter the teaching force. Thirty
percent of their entering teachers are nonwhite— 15 percent
are Hispanic, 11 percent are black, and
World Spin
A Pound of Cure?
In England, as part of a sweeping reform
of the teacher training system, students
who graduate from British universities with
first-class honors will be awarded £ 20,000
(approximately $32,000) to teach subjects
deemed vital to students’ futures, such
as math, physics, chemistry, biology, and
foreign languages. Students awarded
second-class honors will be awarded
smaller scholarships. The British Ministry
of Education will refuse to fund teacher
training for students with third-class
degrees, the lowest honors classification in
most British universities.
