Sources of Teacher Supply: Some New Evidence From Indiana

Abstract

This article is a first step in identifying the diverse sources of teacher supply, the magnitude of the flow form each source, and the characteristics of the teachers that enter or reenter from each source. The analysis uses data on all full-time teachers in Indiana from 1965 to 1988, as well as a survey of new hires in 1987–1988. Our data suggest that experienced teachers (both returning and migrating) have constituted an important source of supply—at present they account for almost 60% of all new hires. Inexperienced teachers appear to be delaying entry into teaching—they have become increasingly older over time, with over a third of them being 35 years old or older. These findings have important implications for teacher recruiting in the future as retirements increase and the reserve pool begins to shrink.