Rethinking Teacher Recruitment: What District Leaders Should Know

Attracting teachers may depend less on convincing them to accept specific school assignments and more on persuading them that the district is an attractive place to build a career. For district leaders trying to fill teacher openings, new research suggests that many applicants are more open to that pitch than leaders expect.

A recent CALDER study challenges conventional assumptions about teacher recruitment. Its most surprising finding is that about 70 percent of applicants for positions across multiple schools were willing to consider opportunities outside their preferred locations. Roughly 40 percent showed interest in any available school, regardless of location.

The study, What Do Educator Job Applications Reveal About Preferences for Schools?, examined applicant-tracking data from 19 school districts. Researchers analyzed both applications to individual schools and preferences expressed when applicants could apply to several schools.

They found that districts with higher shares of low-income and disadvantaged students generally received fewer applications. But within individual districts, schools serving these students didn’t systematically receive fewer applications than other schools.

This distinction suggests that recruitment disparities may arise mainly from candidates’ decisions about which districts to consider, rather than from their choices among schools within a district.

The findings aren’t entirely reassuring. Applicants with strong school preferences were more likely to favor schools serving more affluent and White students. Preferences also differed by applicant background. Black and Asian applicants were more likely than White applicants to favor schools in lower-income communities.

The study doesn’t explain why candidates favor certain districts or whether they ultimately accept positions. Its findings also come from a limited set of districts, mostly outside major cities. Nevertheless, as the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) observes, the research offers useful insights for strengthening recruitment.

Here are five lessons for K–12 leaders.

1. Recruit for the district, not just for individual schools. Recruitment strategies should position the entire system as an attractive workplace. This means communicating the quality of school leadership, professional support, advancement opportunities, and the district's broader educational mission. Rather than recruiting school by school, districts can invite applicants to consider multiple placements and provide information about each school.

2. Create more pathways into teaching. Districts should work with community and four-year colleges, as well as community organizations, to build workforce pipelines rather than relying only on traditional teacher preparation programs. Paid teacher residencies, registered apprenticeships, and pathways for paraprofessionals to become teachers can better align preparation with district needs. These approaches also help prospective teachers build relationships with schools and mentors before committing to a permanent career.

3. Make early-career compensation competitive. District reputation and working conditions matter, but so does pay. A separate NCTQ analysis of 133 large districts found that beginning-teacher salaries rose by an average of 33 percent over a decade. But they lost purchasing power after inflation. In 49 districts, starting salaries for teachers with bachelor's degrees fell below a locally defined living wage for a single adult without children. State and local policymakers should provide funding flexibility and examine salary structures that may disadvantage early-career teachers.

4. Make every placement a supported placement. Recruitment succeeds only when teachers succeed after being hired. While applicants may be willing to consider multiple schools, that shouldn’t be mistaken for their commitment to stay indefinitely. Districts should link recruitment and placement with a support system that includes effective principals, experienced mentors, good working conditions, and opportunities for professional growth. Together, these factors can turn an initial placement into a lasting professional commitment. A recent report from Gallup, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Mattering Institute highlights the importance of what happens after hiring. Among educators who report little investment in their professional development, 41 percent say they’re likely to leave within a year, compared with 12 percent among those who report high investment. This suggests that professional support and growth opportunities matter to a district’s recruitment and retention strategy.

5. Use better workforce data and act on it. District leaders should examine how many candidates apply, which schools they prefer, where applications drop off, and which hires remain after several years. State education agencies should help districts compare recruitment patterns, identify regional shortages, and build partnerships among preparation programs and employers.

The CALDER findings suggest that districts have more opportunity to improve teacher recruitment than many assume. But they need to look beyond simply filling vacancies. The broader goal is to build schools where capable educators can join, grow, build professional relationships, and contribute over time. That is also a practical expression of opportunity pluralism, the idea that we need to create multiple pathways for people to develop their abilities and pursue meaningful work.

When districts approach recruitment this way, they do more than strengthen their workforce. They increase the likelihood that every student will encounter the knowledgeable, committed adults who help make opportunity possible.

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Bruno V. Manno is a senior advisor at the Progressive Policy Institute and a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Policy. You can reach him on LinkedIn.