Teacher shortages and cultural mismatch: District and university collaboration for recruiting

U.S. schools are facing chronic shortages of qualified teachers, resulting in the hiring of unqualified teachers who are disproportionately assigned to disadvantaged students. Further, changing demographics are resulting in racial/ethnic and cultural mismatch between teachers and students they serve, causing additional educational problems. This solution to the shortage and mismatch lies in attracting more students to teacher preparation programs, especially culturally and racially/ethnically diverse students. This study describes the collaboration between a university and school districts to offer dual enrollment courses and a summer camp for high school students considering teaching careers. Study results suggest early exposure to teaching experiences positively influence high school students’ perceptions of teaching as a career. Impact on participants and implications for teacher recruitment are discussed.