Some school districts, especially those located in rural and inner-city areas, are experiencing a teacher shortage. In these locations, it can be challenging to recruit qualified teachers or to retain them once they've shown up, resulting in a revolving door of teachers. Schools in these locations sometimes have to create additional incentives -- such as increased pay, more educational opportunities or more support -- to recruit teachers. A 2010 Time poll, for example, found that 76 percent of people felt that the relatively low pay teachers receive is a deterrent to entering the profession.
Recruitment of new college graduates often happens directly through colleges. College job and teaching fairs can attract students seeking jobs, and some students end up taking jobs at the same school where they complete their internships. Giving new teachers sufficient supervision to excel, while still allowing them some independence, can attract them and keep them. For example, a new teacher might design her own lesson plans, but have a mentor upon whom she can rely when she runs into classroom management challenges. Because primary school teachers help establish a child's framework for lifelong learning, they stand to benefit especially strongly from outside help when they need it.
Programs such as Teach for America recruit new teachers, who then teach in underserved areas. As part of these programs, new primary school teachers will get additional teacher training, while learning how to manage a classroom full of children who may be impoverished or struggling with basic educational concepts such as reading. International recruitment also plays a big role in finding new primary school teachers. Several organizations recruit teachers to teach primary school in foreign countries, while some American organizations attempt to attract highly qualified primary school teachers to the U.S.
Primary school teachers with plenty of experience have preferences for how to teach children to read, write and master basic arithmetic. Recruitment strategies that enable them to retain their independence can be highly effective, and higher pay and more benefits are always strong incentives. These teachers may also appreciate educational opportunities. For example, a first-grade science teacher might want to pursue a master's degree in science, and if her school will help fund this pursuit or give her time off to go to classes, the teacher may be more likely to stay, while the school will gain the benefit of a highly qualified science teacher.