American Teacher (2011)

As the debate over the state of Americas public school system rages on one thing everyone agrees on is the need for great teachers Yet while research proves that teachers are the most important school factor in a childs future success Americas teachers are so woefully underpaid that almost a third must divide their time between a second job in order to make a living Chronicling the stories of four teachers in different areas of the country American Teacher reveals the frustrating realities of todays educators the difficulty of attracting talented new teachers and why so many of our best teachers feel forced to leave the profession altogether But this wakeup call to our systems failings also looks at possibilities for reform Can we revalue teaching in the United States and turn it into a prestigious financially attractive and competitive profession With almost half of American teachers leaving the field in the next five years now is the time to find out