Under the Clinton administration, the Department of Education promised all Americans a "qualified teacher in every classroom." (Riley 1998) Currently, the Bush administration's education reform plan, "No Child Left Behind," includes the promise that by the end of the 2005-2006 school year "every classroom in America" will have "a teacher who is 'highly qualified'" (U.S. Department of Education 2002). Teacher quality, it seems, is a consistent component of every President's education agenda regardless of political party.

Even the average American, those whose children attend public schools, agree that teacher quality is an important barometer of educational success. A 1998 survey conducted by Louis Harris and Associates indicated that 55% of those responding chose teacher quality as the "greatest influence on student learning." Given that most Americans are in agreement over the importance of teacher quality, why then is defining teacher quality so difficult?

A search in academic databases and internet search engines under the term "teacher quality" produces results which vary in issue from teacher certification to teacher testing to teacher attrition and teacher pay.

With so many variables tied into this all-encompassing term "teacher quality," creating a website devoted to this issue required selecting issues that are MOST often associated with the term. Kaplan and Owings (2001) assert that teacher preparation/qualifications and teaching practices define teacher quality.

For the sake of this website, we chose to focus on teacher preparation and, taking into account the growing need for teachers in general, we also included the issues of teacher shortage (which we list under supply and demand) and the recruitment and retention of teachers. In addition, we also provide an overview of Texas state certification requirements, pending state legislation that may impact teacher quality, and the recent implemented federal legislation contained in the "No Child Left Behind Act" signed by President Bush in 2002.