The main driving force of all transformations in general education is the schoolteacher. It is not by chance that one of the key areas in the initiative "Our New School" has to do with the development of the teacher potential. What is involved are the tasks of raising the qualifications of teachers and school management, strengthening the professional training of schoolteachers in higher educational institutions, and modernizing the system of pedagogical education. This article presents a survey of data on the incomes, qualifications, and conditions of work of teachers in Russia which shows that there is a need for significant improvement. (Contains 3 notes.)