What kind of teachers are schools looking for? Evidence from a randomized field experiment

Abstract

Teacher quality is a pressing concern, yet little is known about the hiring process. This paper reports the results of an experiment in which public, private, and charter schools throughout the United States were sent resumes with randomly-selected characteristics from fictitious applicants for teaching positions. The pattern of callbacks suggests that an applicant’s academic background has little impact on the likelihood of success at private and charter schools, although public schools respond more favorably to candidates from more selective colleges. Private schools demonstrate a slight preference for female candidates. All three sectors demonstrate a preference for in-state candidates.