Education Secretary Speaks on Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention

Late last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke at the Bank Street College of Education in New York about how federal and state governments and educational institutions can improve the strength of educators in the nation. His remarks discuss the shortage of qualified teachers in critical areas of study, and he also notes the positive impact of teacher retention on students in underserved communities. The Secretary’s remarks focus on strengthening the diverse and highly qualified educator pipeline, investing in educators’ professional development, and innovating retention strategies to improve long-term career outcomes. While the federal government does not have a role in setting educator salaries, the Secretary does have an important bully pulpit. Thus Cardona calls on states and districts to improve educators retention by increasing salaries while investing in additional programs such as teacher residencies, apprenticeships, certifications, and more. Building from Cardona’s remarks, the Department released a fact sheet on how American Rescue Plan funds used to improve educator retention can be sustained by other sources of federal funding.

Read more here.

View the fact sheet here.