In This Issue

All across the country, the looming teacher shortage has been earning headlines and raising concerns. This is a democratic trend, affecting schools in big cities, small towns, and rural areas. It's a demographic trend, too, fueled by the anticipated retirement of baby boomers. Social factors also play a role. Before the civil rights movement, schools of education were filled largely with women and minorities. Today, women and minorities enjoy expanded career opportunities in fields offering higher pay than teaching. And it's a political issue, with everyone from the Secretary of Education to the First Lady to members of Congress weighing in with suggestions and sound bites.

By 2010, experts predict that 2.2 million new teachers will be needed for the nation's classrooms. What's more, today's teachers are expected to help students reach high academic standards. Students are increasingly diverse, with many facing challenges related to poverty or language fluency. The national push for accountability can make even the most experienced teachers feel as if they're working in a pressure cooker. Many rookies face the additional challenge of drawing the toughest classroom assignments.

But all is not doom and gloom. When education researcher Ellen Moir, founder of the New Teacher Center, looks at the faces of students enrolled in teacher preparation programs, she sees good reason to hope. "These people," she says, "are dying to teach." The challenge is finding ways to support prospective teachers so that they can overcome the inevitable bumps of the first year or two in the classroom and become the capable educators they dream of becoming.

This issue of Northwest Education takes a look at promising approaches to support new teachers. First, we offer a look at what research tells us about why so many novices leave the field and what strategies may help them remain in the profession. We hear from Patricia Wasley, who is retooling teacher induction at the University of Washington so that new teachers gain support over several years. We take a look at mentoring programs, such as the award-winning approach underway in Walla Walla, Washington.

We also zoom in for a close-up look, introducing you to some of the talented individuals who are choosing to make their careers in the classrooms of the Northwest region. Through the eyes of Dorothy Epchook, you'll see why the bond of a shared heritage is vital to the success of rural teachers and their Alaska Native students. In the words of Lemil Speed, you'll hear why seasoned adults are considering new careers in teaching and what kind of support they need to survive the transition. And in the story of Sam Fisher, you'll experience the highs and lows of the first year in the classroom.

These are a just few of the fine people who are dying to teach — the ones who are rising to the challenge with courage, dignity, and humor. We hope you join us in cheering for their continued success.

— Suzie Boss
nwedufeedback@nwrel.org