One thing the candidates don't need is teaching experience. Instead, they'll have six weeks of intensive training this summer and get ongoing support from mentors. In some cases, school reform pressures are making it harder to attract teachers. Forced reduction in class size, meant to improve the learning environment, has stretched resources at already beleaguered schools. Emphasis on student testing has also further alienated teachers, driving some into other professions.
Education is geared more toward students' testing results than teaching itself.
Experts point to other, deeper social causes deterring people from entering the profession. Michael Genzuk, director of the Latino and Language Minority Teacher Projects at the University of Southern California, points to negative portrayal of teachers in the media that don't reflect the intelligence, hard-work and physical strength a teacher needs to succeed. The parents suggest that their children pursue jobs with more status, more money. Nowadays, it's not just lack of status and money. There are also worries about safety, spurred by the growing number of shootings in schools.