Review of Opportunities and challenges in teacher recruitment and retention: Teachers’ voices across the pipeline Holshouser, K. O. (2020, December 16). Review of Opportunities and challenges in teacher recruitment and retention: Teachers’ voices across the pipeline by C. R. Rinke & L. Mawhinney (Eds.) Education Review, 27. http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/er.v27.2983 December 16, 2020 ISSN 1094-5296 Rinke, C. R., & Mawhinney, L. (Eds.) (2019). Opportunities and challenges in teacher recruitment and retention: Teachers’ voices across the pipeline. Information Age Publishing. Pp. 349 ISBN: 9781641136594 Reviewed by Kaitlyn O. Holshouser University of North Carolina at Charlotte United States Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention, edited by Carol R. Rinke and Lynnette Mawhinney, is a compilation of current research on teacher recruitment, attrition, and migration, a relevant issue plaguing America’s public school systems. The research studies showcased in this edited volume shed light on the complexities inherent within teacher recruitment and retention. A resounding theme of complexity urges readers to consider teacher turnover from a variety of lenses as an impetus for taking a “multifaceted, coherent, and interconnected approach” to the formulation of solutions to this crisis (p. 330). Existing literature on teacher turnover often prioritizes quantitative methodologies, especially in the form of surveys. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produces much of the data related to teacher turnover through surveys, such as the Teacher Follow-Up Survey (TFS) and the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), formerly known as the Schools and Staffing Surveys (SASS; see NCES, 2020). Although http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/er.v27.2983 Education Review /Reseñas Educativas 2 essential to a broad understanding of educational problems and a potential springboard for further investigation, surveys alone do not capture the subtleties existing within sub-groups of individuals, such as teachers who move, leave, or stay in the profession. A notable feature of this text is the mixed use of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, which serves to reinforce the theme of complexity. While quantitative methodologies are present, the editors prioritize teacher’s voices through mixed- method and qualitative studies, such as autoethnography (Chapter 7), case studies (Chapter 8 and 10), and program evaluation (Chapter 11). These studies add depth to the existing literature by highlighting the voices of teachers, which at times is lacking in educational research. Given that lack of autonomy is a documented reason as to why some teachers leave the profession (Ingersoll & May, 2012), it would be remiss for an exploration of teacher attrition and migration to exclude the voices of teachers. From their selection of inclusive contributions, it is clear that the editors believe teachers’ voices should drive solutions. Terms like movers, leavers, and stayers are prevalent in the literature and help to differentiate among the various moves teachers make once they enter the profession (NCES, 2015). Comprising 13 research studies, this book provides insight into each sub-group of teachers (movers, leavers, and stayers), all while capturing the nuance inherent within each classification. Some contributors take a qualitative approach to exploring stayers, or those individuals who remain within their classroom roles despite the myriad of challenges they face. Other chapters provide readers with an in-depth look at movers, that is, those who move from one school, district, or state to another, and the circumstances influencing teachers’ decisions to leave the professional altogether. Many of the volume’s contributors reiterate that pay, lack of autonomy, student demographics, administrative support, and accountability measures (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Ingersoll & May, 2012; Ingersoll et al., 2016) impact teacher attrition and migration. These findings may seem redundant for scholars well-versed in the literature on teacher attrition, but they are helpful in providing a holistic picture of turnover for those just beginning their exploration of the topic. Scholars who yearn for an original take on teacher turnover may find the new insight they crave in Chapter 9, on the challenges of recruiting men into the profession, or Chapter 13, on the need for self-care in the profession, specifically highlighting ESOL teachers. Education researchers might appreciate new exposure to theoretical frameworks offered in this volume, such as Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Framework (1976). Although not discussed explicitly in every chapter, this framework (presented by Sell in Chapter 5) is a useful lens from which to view the various factors influencing attrition and migration. This framework details the “ecological structure of the educational environment” (p. 94), involving four sub- systems at work: 1) microsystem, 2) mesosystem, 3), exosystem, and 4) the macrosystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1976). The selection and organization of chapters allows readers to see myriad levels that influence recruitment and retention. Drawing on Improvement Science and the work of Grenny & Patterson (2013), the editors urge readers to see how “personal experiences”, “social experiences”, and “structural issues” interact and influence teacher recruitment and retention (p. 330). With an emphasis on these three layers of teacher turnover, the editors provide a more streamlined and accessible approach to Bronfenbrenner’s framework. Review of Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention 3 Relationships between and among colleagues and administrators comprise the mesosystem or the “social experiences” that the editors discuss. Other issues, such as high- stakes testing and educational policy are structural in nature and characterize the exosystem, defined as the “district, state, and federal education policies” that trickle down to both teachers and students (p. 97). This emphasis on the multi-layered problem of teacher turnover shifts focus away from viewing attrition as the result of a deficit on the part of teachers (qualities or characteristics they do not possess). Rather it acknowledges how outside factors, such as lack of prestige (macrosystem/social), high-stakes testing (exosystem/structural), lack of autonomy (exosystem and/or mesosystem/structural) all come to influence teachers’ classrooms (microsystem/personal). These various lenses garner a wide audience beyond educational researchers. Administrators, district leaders, and government officials who face high turnover in their schools or districts will gain insights necessary to address the problems within their district. The chapter, What it Takes to Stay, by Sells, paints a complicated picture of how ecological environments influence teachers at the micro level: “Elementary teachers relied heavily on factors within the micro- and meso- systems to counterbalance the pressures and frustrations perceived within the exosystem” (p. 115). That is, teachers were able to persist in the profession despite high stakes testing or state-wide mandates if they had a supportive administrator that created space for teachers to exercise autonomy. This finding is hopeful, evidence that administrators can create environments where teachers wish to stay, even in the wake of top-down mandates that are outside of their control. Another strong feature of this text is its international perspective. Research studies included in this volume were conducted in a the United States (Wisconsin, Philadelphia, New York, and more) as well as Australia and Turkey. Teacher turnover is a phenomenon occurring all over the world. An international approach is essential to understand the problem and share solutions across borders. The research presented within this book also addresses context-specific problems, like the lack of males in early childhood education (Chapter 9), the lack of diversity in the teaching force (Chapter 12), and the recruitment of teachers in the sciences (Chapter 11). These chapters highlight sub- problems within teacher turnover, which must be addressed to make a dent in the larger problem. For example, in their contribution, Why Not Become a Police Officer?: Challenges in the Recruitment and Retention of Men in Early Childhood Education, Cole at al. explore the factors influencing male educators, specifically the gender roles associated with the profession and the lack of status granted to educators. As one administrator put it, “Teaching will never get the value that it needs, because people go, ‘Oh, anybody could do that. It’s just something that women do, like, something simple’, not understanding the real work that happens” (p. 213). These stereotypical views may contribute to a phenomenon known as the “glass escalator” (p. 213), whereby male educators advance to supervisory roles after a short time in the classroom. As solutions are crafted to improve recruitment and retention of male educators, policymakers must be cognizant of the gendered stereotypes present within the teaching profession. Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention offers an authentic picture of teacher attrition and migration that magnifies the voices of teachers. The collection of quantitative and qualitative studies highlights the multiple factors merging and compounding to create a complex problem. With a focus on external forces influencing teacher attrition and migration, this book is most appropriate for individuals in supervisory roles (i.e. school administrators, Education Review /Reseñas Educativas 4 superintendents, etc.) or individuals with a stake in policy decisions. The studies in this book have practical insights for policymakers at the local, state, and national level as well as ideas for new directions in educational research on the topic of teacher turnover. References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1976). The experimental ecology of education. Educational Researcher, 5(5), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.2307/1174755 Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher turnover: Why it matters and what we can do about it. Learning Policy Institute. Grenny, J., & Patterson, K. (2013). Influencer: The new science of leading change (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. Ingersoll, R. M., & May, H. (2012). The magnitude, destinations, and determinants of mathematics and science teacher turnover. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34(4), 435-464. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373712454326 Ingersoll, R., Merrill, L., & May, H. (2016). Do accountability policies push teachers out? The Working Lives of Educators, 73(8), 44-49. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/551/ National Center for Educational Statistics. (2015). Teacher turnover: Stayers, movers, and leavers. The Condition of Education. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_slc.asp National Center for Educational Statistics. (July 20, 2020). Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/ About the Reviewer Kaitlyn O. Holshouser is a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Instruction Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research interests include content-area literacy, global education, and teacher development. Review of Opportunities and Challenges in Teacher Recruitment and Retention 5 Education Review/Reseñas Educativas/Resenhas Educativas is supported by the Scholarly Communications Group at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. Copyright is retained by the first or sole author, who grants right of first publication to the Education Review. Readers are free to copy, display, and distribute this article, as long as the work is attributed to the author(s) and Education Review, it is distributed for non-commercial purposes only, and no alteration or transformation is made in the work. More details of this Creative Commons license are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. All other uses must be approved by the author(s) or Education Review. Education Review is published by the Scholarly Communications Group of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. Disclaimer: The views or opinions presented in book reviews are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of Education Review. Connect with Education Review on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Education- Review/178358222192644) and on Twitter @EducReview https://www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Review/178358222192644 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Review/178358222192644