Examines the policies that determine who teaches in American schools and separates the policies that work from those that are destined to fail. It tracks the lives of 50,000 graduates and describes how prospective, current and former teachers respond to the incentives and disincentives they face.

Will America find enough good teachers to staff its public schools? How can we ensure that all our children will be taught by skilled professionals? The policies that determine who teaches today are a confusing, and often conflicting, array that includes tougher licensing requirements, higher salaries, mandatory master's degrees, merit pay, and alternative routes to certification. Who Will Teach? examines these policies and separates those that work from those that backfire.