This paper presents an overview of several of the problems and conditions of the teaching profession and discusses different issues related to the development and implementation of policies, programs, and practices designed to address them. The opening section examines the conditions of teaching--employment opportunities, teacher evaluation,…

This report describes New York State Regents' proposals to increase teacher compensation, improve the conditions for teaching, and to advance recruitment, preparation and retention of a quality teaching force in the state. Included in the report are recommendations on: (1) the professional status of teachers; (2) teacher salaries; (3) teaching…

This paper, one of the nine-booklet Teacher Quality Series, offers guidelines for educational leaders who have the responsibility of making policy to improve the school as an organization in which teaching and learning take place. Various organizational schemes that encourage staff to share understandings and techniques, help each other to…

This paper, one of the nine-booklet Teacher Quality Series, examines ten popular assumptions that underlie many new proposals to solve the problems of the teacher workforce. It is argued that many of these assumptions are unsupported by research on teaching. It is also suggested that the ability to attract, train and keep good teachers depends…

To assess the condition of American education in the next decade, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) should focus on collecting data in the following major areas: (1) the quality and quantity of time that is allocated to various activities in the classroom; (2) the concerns of teachers, including their working conditions and time…

An examination of the various ways in which teaching is uncertain and how uncertainty pervades teachers' lives points out that teachers face uncertainties in their instructional content, ranging from difficult concepts, to unclarity about how teaching might be improved. These forms of uncertainty undermine teachers' authority, creating situations…

The status of faculty unionization in American colleges in 1988 is reviewed in this newsletter. Information is given on the following: agents elected; activities of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association (NEA), and American Association of University Professors (AAUP); "no-agent" elections; decertifications;…

This document reports on a review of the leadership literature, a cross-sectional correlation study, and a series of in-depth teacher interviews, all of which were parts of an effort to better understand the conditions under which a principal can lead. The correlation study makes use of S. Kerr's theory that the effect of the leader's behavior on…

In order to attract people to the teaching profession and to motivate the more capable teachers to remain in the profession, a career structure is needed that will promote excellence, reward commitment, and encourage growth. This study explores the relationships between characteristics of teaching as an occupation and the internal work motivation…

This study examined the effectiveness of selected coping strategies in dealing with teacher stress in the classroom setting. Factors contributing to teacher burnout, (e.g., class size, school size, student behavior), were also weighed. Data were gathered from 117 elementary and secondary teachers by means of a questionnaire, and the Maslach…

Examines the pupils' reactions to a teacher's absence and discusses the relationship between regular and substitute teachers. Includes suggestions for change. (Author/SDH)

Stress factors, if not corrected, may lead to certain psychological reactions and may influence the teacher to find another occupation with a lesser degree of stress. (MW)

Addressing the need to consider ways in which the quality of educator work life can be improved, the author uses J. Walton's eight-point definition of the quality of work life as a framework for discussion. The eight points include (1) adequate and fair compensation, in which financial incentives are provided for advanced coursework; (2) safe and…

This study examined the relationships between various components of organizational control and individual teacher reports of autonomy. The effects of two types of control were examined: information-gathering structures (such as observation) and directive control structures (such as rules). The data for the study were drawn from a survey of 35…