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Teacher Qualifications and Work Environments Across School Types

The academic success of any school depends on the instruction provided by high-quality teachers. Yet the impact of school choice on teachers and teaching has received less attention than other components of school operations. This brief addresses that lack by reviewing teacher quality in choice schools and differences in work environments across school types. It also includes the scant information available about what impact school choice may have upon the teacher labor market. Findings, broken out by types of schools, are based on a review of relevant research as well as original analyses of the 2003-2004 Schools and Staff Survey published by the National Center for Education Statistics.