Would School Choice Change the Teaching Profession?

Abstract

This paper investigates whether schools that face stronger choice-based incentives have greater demand for certain teacher characteristics and (if so) which teacher characteristics. Schools that face choice-based incentives should demand teachers who raise a schools' ability to attract students. Thus, in the long term, school choice would affect who became (and remained) a teacher if it affected schools' demand for certain teacher characteristics. Using data on traditional forms of choice (Tiebout choice, choice of private schools) and a new survey of charter school teachers, this paper finds evidence that suggests that school choice would change the teaching profession by demanding teachers with higher quality college education, more math and science skills, and a greater degree of effort and independence.