will teacher reforms (such as comprehensive testing of teachers or requiring ongoing professional development) attract or intimidate individuals from joining the teaching profession? How do the reforms affect your own desire to enter the profession?

Identify internal and/or external rewards that impact recruitment and retention of quality teachers. How do such rewards influence recruitment or retention? How might these rewards shift as new accountability-centered teacher reforms are proposed (such as merit pay and competency testing)?

Teacher reforms as you define them probably won't affect the overall supply of teachers. Those who want to be professional and provide the best education for students will probably embrace these reforms. However, those people who don't test well or don't have the necessary skills will probably shy away from a teaching career.

How do these reforms affect YOUR desire to enter the teaching profession?

Most teachers enter the profession because of a sincere desire to teach and make a difference in students' lives. But they need to be able to make a decent living from teaching. Because salaries are generally lower for teachers than they are for other careers that involve the same education and dedication, some potentially great teachers choose other professions in order to feed and house their families. Benefits, such as good health insurance and pensions are far more effective in attracting and retaining teachers than merit pay or competency testing.

I've seen no good method of merit pay, so I suspect this in itself will neither attract nor deter potential teachers.

Identify internal and/or external rewards that impact recruitment and retention of quality teachers. How do such rewards influence recruitment or retention? How might these rewards shift as new accountability-centered teacher reforms are proposed (such as merit pay and competency testing)?

Dawn -- how do you define internal or external rewards?

To answer these questions, it is important to consider both the potential impact of teacher reforms on individuals' perceptions of the teaching profession and the existing rewards that influence the recruitment and retention of quality teachers. Here's how you can explore these topics:

1. Research on the Impact of Teacher Reforms:
a) Start by examining studies, surveys, or articles that discuss the effects of comprehensive testing of teachers or ongoing professional development on attracting or intimidating individuals from entering the teaching profession. Look for research that considers both the positive and negative impacts of these reforms. You can use academic databases or search engines to find relevant materials.

2. Evaluate Personal Attitudes towards Teacher Reforms:
a) Reflect on your own feelings about teacher reforms, such as comprehensive testing or ongoing professional development. Consider whether these reforms would attract or intimidate you as a potential teacher and why. Think about how these reforms might align with or contradict your personal values and aspirations in the profession.

3. Identify Internal and External Rewards for Teachers:
a) Look for information on the internal and external rewards that impact recruitment and retention of quality teachers, such as job satisfaction, salary, benefits, opportunities for growth and advancement, working conditions, and recognition. Consult research studies, educational policy documents, and interviews with educators to gather insights.
b) Analyze how these rewards influence recruitment or retention, as well as their potential impact on individuals' decisions to enter or stay in the teaching profession.

4. Anticipating Changes in Rewards due to Accountability-centered Reforms:
a) Investigate how the proposed accountability-centered teacher reforms, like merit pay and competency testing, might affect the existing rewards for teachers. Explore studies and articles that discuss the potential consequences and shifts in rewards under these reforms.
b) Consider whether these accountability-centered reforms weigh more on extrinsic rewards (e.g., financial incentives) rather than intrinsic rewards (e.g., job satisfaction, professional growth). Reflect on how such shifts might impact recruitment and retention of quality teachers.

By following these steps, you will gain a deeper understanding of the potential impact of teacher reforms on the teaching profession and how existing rewards influence recruitment and retention. You will also be able to consider how these rewards might change as new accountability-centered reforms are proposed.