Gatekeepers to the classroom: The influence of state teacher standards boards on state teacher policy

We consider the politics of structural choice to examine how American states govern the teaching profession. Since the 1970s, nearly all states have adopted professional standards boards to regulate the licensing and certification of public school teachers. These boards vary in their composition, powers, and relationship to other government institutions. Some boards possess much autonomy and authority, while others are primarily advisory. Using the lens of structural choice, we ask: What impacts do state teacher standards boards have on policies governing the teaching profession? We find that the authority states’ have vested in teacher boards appear to influence some teacher policies but not others. Additional variables capturing different aspects of the state’s political environment also matter. Our findings show the dual impacts that prior structural choices and the contemporary political environment have on state teacher policy. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, January 10-12, 2008, New Orleans. The authors thank the Spencer Foundation and the College of William and Mary for financial support. This paper is a work in progress. Comments and feedback are welcome.