Do Public Schools Hire the Best Applicants?

Abstract

Despite a surplus of candidates for most teaching jobs, a strong academic record does little for an applicant's job prospects. This does not appear to result from lukewarm interest on the part of such applicants or choosiness about the positions they accept. Administrators' lack of interest in these candidates may reflect the weakness of competitive pressures in public education. Policies intended to improve teacher quality need to consider incentives on both the demand and supply sides of the market. Copyright 1996, the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.