A new ad campaign from the Department of Education seeks to place teaching in the same competitive realm as medicine, engineering or acting for top young college graduates, The New York Times reports. The Times cites a DOE prediction that nearly one million teachers may retire within the next few years, spurring the need to recruit more.
The public service announcements, set to air on radio and TV, depict stimulating lessons taught to attentive and active students and feature technology such as iPads and surround-screen projection, while the narrator declares that teachers are "proving that greatness can be found in everyday places.”
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the aim was to attract top caliber graduates with math and science backgrounds, and more minority and male candidates.
Critics note that the increase in mandatory standardized testing, in particular the Common Core requirements, may make the profession less attractive to high-achieving young people with multiple career options.
source: Campaign Seeks to Recruit Top Students to Become Teachers
