Texas tried to fix its teacher shortage by lowering requirements − the result was more new teachers, but at lower salaries

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Sarah Guthery, University of Oklahoma and Lauren P. Bailes, University of Delaware

(THE CONVERSATION) Facing persistent teacher shortages, Texas in 2001 reduced its student teaching requirements for alternative licensure programs. Our study found that these reduced teacher licensure requirements also led to reduced wages for all new elementary school teachers over the next 20 years.

Previously, a new teacher license was obtained through university training and a series of standardized tests. The license signaled that an individual had undergone a specific kind of training and therefore that person’s skills were valued at a certain level by employers. Research has found that licensed professions typically restrict the number of new entrants, which maintains higher wages for their members and provides incentives for continual professional development.

When Texas reduced its requirements for new teachers in 2001, it helped launch a host of new alternative teacher training programs offered by providers including online companies, for-profit colleges, universities and public school systems. Therefore, candidates seeking teacher licensure could do so faster and more easily than through traditional, university-based...