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In U.S. Schools, New Teachers Are Hardly a Novelty

This article originally appeared in "Education Week."

Everybody involved in K-12 education knows that new teachers tend to need a lot of extra support. What they may not fully grasp, however, is just how many new teachers are out there.

As a segment of the total U.S. teaching force, their representation appears to be considerable.

Nationally, 12 percent of all public school teachers are in their first or second year, according to an Education Week analysis of new data from the U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights. And in some states, that figure may be higher than 15 percent.

The data, while under, are consistent with other recent research pointing to a “greening” trend in teaching over the past 20 years or so. They also raise questions both about the overall stability of the teaching force and the ability of school systems to provide adequate support to so many novices.

“It’s a really substantive and serious issue when a district or school is dealing [with a influx of new teachers],” said Susan Moore Johnson, a professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education....

Read more at Education Week.

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