The atmosphere was filled with tension as a group of aspiring teachers gathered at Durfee High School for one of their final seminars in their intensive education crash course. Alison Thibodeau, a former substitute teacher with a graduate degree in economics, admitted that none of the 9th and 10th grade students she had been teaching this summer were able to pass a recent quiz she had given. Matthew Stuck, a Coast Guard lieutenant transitioning into teaching mathematics, expressed his worry about the fact that two-thirds of his students seemed to struggle with his recent lesson on linear equations. "I have experience in stage directing," suggested William Pett, another prospective teacher, "and I can tell you, you always wish you had more rehearsal time."

Unfortunately, the 18 novices who met here each afternoon over the summer, as well as the 147 others at different training sites across the state, had limited rehearsal time. These participants were part of the Massachusetts Institute for New Teachers, a program that aimed to teach them classroom management, lesson planning, and different learning styles in less than two months. Although known as the Massachusetts signing-bonus program, which offered a $20,000 incentive, the program’s appeal went beyond just the financial reward. Many of these "bonus babies" were drawn to the promise of a fast-track entry into the teaching profession, despite their nerves. "The traditional path would have been to go back to school, and I don’t know if I could commit to two years," explained Diane Fowler, 51, who already had a master’s degree in history and four years’ experience as a special education teacher’s aide. "So completing this program in seven weeks is a major advantage."

When state Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham initially proposed these attractive incentives, the goal was to help schools in Massachusetts compete with private industries in attracting highly skilled teachers. At the time, Massachusetts was beginning to feel the effects of the nationwide teacher shortage and had just encountered a 59 percent failure rate on its new teacher-licensing exam.

The program primarily targeted career-changers and recent liberal arts graduates, but little consideration was given to preparing the bonus winners for their first teaching assignments. Although Massachusetts allowed districts to develop their own alternative-licensing programs for nontraditional candidates, state officials claim that few districts took advantage of this opportunity. The state’s training program heavily borrowed from Teach For America, a private organization that recruits recent college graduates to teach in urban and rural schools nationwide. This year, four out of the six Massachusetts training sites were operated by the New Teacher Project, a consulting initiative originating from Teach For America. The other two training sites were managed by the University of Massachusetts. During the institute, participants spent their mornings assisting with summer school classes for middle and high school students, many of whom were at risk of repeating a grade due to low test scores. The focus was on training secondary school teachers, as the shortage was not as severe at the elementary level. In the afternoons, participants gathered for seminars covering topics like student assessments, special needs education, and utilizing the latest research on the brain in instruction. "We’re aiming to provide them with a solid foundation that they can build upon in the future," explained Vicky Seelen, the director of the University of Massachusetts Boston training site. Vicky Seelen and her husband, Tad Lawrence, who both taught at independent schools in the Boston area, led the seminars at one of the program’s largest training sites. Despite having no public education experience beyond student teaching, they saw the training program as a "middle ground" between the traditional public school teacher preparation model, which focuses heavily on education coursework, and the typical independent school model, which emphasizes subject area expertise. "It’s an accelerated program for a very unique type of person," remarked Ms. Seelen.

Overall, the Massachusetts signing-bonus program provided aspiring teachers with the opportunity to fast-track their entry into the profession, opening doors for talented individuals who may have been hesitant to commit to a full two-year education program.

“There’s no doubt that these programs are increasing, and it’s a sign of the interest in education," stated C. Emily Feistritzer, director of the National Center for Education Information, a private research group in Washington, and a strong advocate for alternative paths into teaching. "I believe we have underestimated the appeal of teaching as a profession." Nonetheless, many participants in Massachusetts claim that the bonus played a crucial role in grabbing their attention when other enticing opportunities were available. It also helped them get through the summer period between leaving their old jobs and starting their new careers. Each bonus recipient receives $8,000 at the beginning of their first semester as a teacher, with an additional $4,000 given at the start of each of the following three years.

A Controversial Program?

While the program, which costs $1.7 million annually, has successfully attracted its target audience, the broader education community in the state has been slower to embrace it. Critics argue that it essentially pays top dollar for a small group of poorly trained educators. Some participants have even been told outright that their lack of extensive training is a negative mark against them, and many have chosen not to disclose their status as bonus winners to their colleagues. According to Ms. Fowler, a superintendent who interviewed her earlier this summer bluntly stated that he would "never hire a ‘bonus baby.’" However, she received multiple job offers from other school systems. Dealing with the bureaucratic hiring processes in urban districts has also posed challenges, particularly in Boston, where candidates typically have to wait until August to learn if they have secured a position. "We all had a difficult time finding jobs," said Liora Faliks, a 23-year-old graduate of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Many principals I interviewed with had a negative outlook. They saw me as a person with no experience, just a lot of fancy degrees."

Nevertheless, some principals in Boston have managed to bypass the district’s administrative rules and hire a few bonus winners. Additionally, some districts actively sought out these recipients. The Chelsea public schools, for example, hired about a dozen of last year’s 59 winners, including Ms. Faliks. Furthermore, state education officials say that much of the skepticism from last year has faded, and participants are now finding jobs more quickly. Mr. Rowe, for instance, received eight offers before his summer training had even begun. However, the difficulty in placing participants has led the state to abandon its guarantee that all individuals would be able to find jobs and the expectation that all bonus recipients would work in urban districts.

Some Unwilling to Return

An unanswered question is how effective the bonus winners are in their teaching roles. A recent survey by the education department revealed that 86 principals from last year’s recipients considered the recruits to be "average" or better, and 90% said they would hire one again. "They are eager to learn; they don’t come off as knowing everything," stated Michael Fung, principal at Charlestown High School in Boston. "This year, the recruits are better than those from traditional schools of education," he added. However, many of last year’s participants initially experienced a significant drop in confidence as they faced the challenges of managing their own classrooms. "You come from situations where you’ve always been successful," explained Jennifer Arenson, who joined the program last year after earning a master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard. "Suddenly, you find yourself putting in more effort than ever before and feeling more inadequate than ever before."

"I believe that individuals who possess maturity, industry experience, and a genuine dedication to the well-being of children are likely more capable of accomplishing this task compared to fresh college graduates in their early twenties," expressed Ms. Powell. "I don’t mean to undermine the potential of young teachers, but if I had to make a choice, I would confidently invest my trust in someone with a midcareer background."