Fifty years after sociologist Dan Lortie examined the culture of teaching in his book, Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study, education scholars and practitioners gathered at the George Washington University to consider how the profession has changed—and what it will take to support teachers and students in the years ahead.
Dan C. Lortie (1926-2020) was a professor of education at the University of Chicago. His book, Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study, was published in 1975 and has been esteemed as the best social portrait of the profession. He describes teaching as a profession in which norms of conservatism, individualism and presentism made teachers more of a force for continuity than for change.
However, fifty years later, it is evident that the teaching profession and education system of today are different from the one Lortie described. New challenges include the recruitment and retention of teachers, the politicization of teaching, teacher burnout and dissatisfaction, and a myriad of other issues.
Faculty at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) and the Vanderbilt University Peabody College of Education hosted a conference, Schoolteacher at 50, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lortie’s landmark study through the lens of today’s most pressing challenges in public education.
The two-day event, held October 30-31 on the GW campus, brought together more than 70 scholars, researchers, policymakers and practitioners to reflect on how the teaching profession has evolved over the past five decades. Meet the conference participants from across the country who shared their expertise and perspectives through interactive discussions focused on critical questions facing public education in the 21st century.
The event was co-hosted by:
- Joshua Glazer, Professor of Education Policy, George Washington University
- Matthew Shirrell, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Administration, George Washington University
- Ellen Goldring, Professor of Education Leadership and Policy, Vanderbilt University (Fun fact: Ellen was actually a Ph.D. student of Lortie’s at the University of Chicago)
With support from the Spencer Foundation, the Wallace Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, the conference explored questions surrounding teacher recruitment and retention, professional culture, equality, school leadership and the conditions that shape educators’ experiences.
Rethinking the Conditions of Teaching
In Schoolteacher, Dan Lortie examined how the characteristics of people drawn to teaching, the ways they learn their craft and the rewards associated with the profession shape its culture. At Schoolteacher at 50, participants revisited these themes to consider how Lortie’s observations apply to today’s educators and the challenges facing public education. Discussions emphasized the importance of looking beyond individual teachers to examine how schools and education systems are structured—and how those structures can better support the profession.
Key themes included:
- Who Chooses Teaching—and Why?
Who is drawn to a teaching career, what are new entrants into the profession seeking, and what are the implications for the professional ethos?
Lortie state, “One would not expect people who selected teaching because it made limited claims on their time to give long hours of extra service. If this is so, [it] is also indirectly conservative in its effects; change in an occupation normally requires extra effort from its members” (32). “[Teaching] appeals strongly to young people who are favorably disposed toward the existing system of schools” (54).
Participants explored the motivations of a new generation of teachers and considered how recruitment patterns influence teaching’s professional culture. These conversations raised questions about how the profession can attract educators who are committed to their work while responding to changing expectations and career priorities.
- Building a Shared Professional Culture
To what extent do teacher preparation and socialization (e.g., in-service professional development, professional communities) foster shared goals, beliefs and expertise among teachers, and what are the implications for the professional ethos? Do preparation programs perpetuate or weaken the ‘apprenticeship of observation’ and the individualism it evokes?
Lortie highlighted how teachers often learn about the profession through their own experiences as students, a process that can reinforce familiar practices rather than encourage critical examination. “The student’s learning about teaching, gained from a limited vantage point and relying heavily on imagination, is not like that of an apprentice and does not represent acquisition of the occupation’s technical knowledge. It is more a matter of imitation, which, being generalized across individuals, becomes tradition. It…does not favor informed criticism, attention to specifics, or explicit rules of assessment” (63).
Conference sessions explored whether teacher preparation programs, professional development and collaborative learning communities can help educators move beyond individual approaches to develop shared expertise, goals and beliefs.
- Rethinking Rewards, Engagement and Retention
How does teaching’s reward structure shape attraction to teaching, teacher engagement in, and commitment to a teaching career, and what are the implications for teaching’s professional ethos?
Lortie stated, “The system of career rewards (in teaching), in sum, works most satisfactorily for those who give teaching less than full-time engagement. We are witnessing consequences of a historical pattern; the career system in teaching continues to favor recruitment rather than retention and low rather than high involvement” (99).
The conference participants examined how teaching’s career structure influences who enters the profession, how deeply educators engage in their work and whether they choose to stay. Participants considered the relationship between professional rewards, teacher commitment and school leadership, including how education systems can better support teachers throughout their careers.
View the full agenda for sessions, speakers and panelists
Key Takeaways From the Conference
- Building a more sustainable teaching profession, beginning with recruitment and retention
As shared by speaker Matthew Kraft (Brown University) in Session 1, some aspects hold true for Lortie's themes on "the occupational bargain." Teacher salaries are still relatively low, opportunities for advancement are limited, and social standing is moderate. However, teachers often express satisfaction with their work, including the psychic rewards of moral work and the benefits of a secure job.
Current data and research share a grim outlook for the teaching profession. Interest from high school students in teaching has fallen 40% since 2010 (Monitoring the Future Survey of High School Seniors) and the number of prospective teachers earning a teaching license each year fell by over 100,000 between 2006 and 2021 (U.S. Dept. of Eduction Office of Title II). Teachers’ job satisfaction reached the lowest level in five decades in 2022, declining by 26% in the past 10 years alone (Survey of the American Teacher - MET Life/Merrimack College). This decline is influenced by economic and sociopolitical factors as well as education policy and school environment concerns.
Participants explored what makes teaching an attractive career and how schools can better support educators throughout their careers, but especially at the beginning as opposed to the end (i.e. conditional scholarships for college as opposed to loan forgiveness or better starting salaries as opposed to pensions). Conversations considered opportunities for professional growth, manageable workloads and collaborative working environments that allow teachers to develop their skills and remain in the profession.
Dr. Constance Lindsay (UNC Chapel Hill) noted in Session 2 that Lortie's views on teacher retention failed to account for the need for diversity in today's school systems. "Today, we recognize that who becomes a teacher shapes student access, belonging, and outcomes," noted Lindsay. The session viewed teacher recruitment and retention through the lens of Lortie's five attractors to teaching (interpersonal, service, continuation, material benefits, flexible time) and notes that they remain relevant but operate differently across diverse pathways. Her key takeaways included:
- Personal conviction develops through teaching experience, not just before entry—especially for teachers navigating economic barriers and identity-based challenges.
- Teacher diversity matters because different teachers bring different lived experiences, service motivations, and relationships with students.
- The future of teaching depends on expanding who we recruit and how we support their journey from calling to career.
Dan Goldhaber (University of Washington) revisited this theme in Session 5 which focused on the reward and incentive structure for teachers. According to Lortie, teaching emphasizes psychic (intrinsic, emotional) and ancillary (instrumental) rewards (i.e. schedule flexibility) over extrinsic rewards (salary). Goldhaber presented a snapshot of the reward structure today and noted that Lortie's portrait rings true. Pay remains predictable and “unstaged” based on experience and academic credentials. Non-monetary motivations continue to drive the increasingly smaller population that is interested in the teaching profession (i.e. they possess more empathy/concern for others). Goldhaber's key takeaways were that “flat” profession and uniform wages make it harder to attract high-achieving students to teaching, and rewards send weak signals/incentives for pursuing in-demand positions in special education, rural schools, and other shortages areas. Ultimately, school systems need comprehensive changes to rewards aligned to a theory of educational improvement, not piecemeal solutions (e.g., one-off bonuses).
- Expanding the role of school leaders
School leaders face increasingly complex responsibilities, from developing teachers and improving instruction to recruiting and retaining staff. In Session 6, Jason Grissom (Vanderbilt University) examined the role of school leaders according to Lortie and how that role and overall characterization of leaders has changed. To start, in Lortie's world, principals were men. Today, approximately 60% of principals are women. Grissom noted that there is some evidence that women take a little longer to move into leadership roles than men, but this experience may also make them more desirable as leaders.
While Lortie noted that “superiors would raise performance levels by supervising teachers” (p. 74), he positioned principals as irrelevant to teacher performance in the classroom. At that time, leaders were seen as a source of support, but not instructional support. This is another shift that has occurred over the past several decades. In 2025, school leaders play a much more active role in classroom supervision and professional development opportunities. However, Grissom stated that principals often report feeling underprepared to manage these demands alongside hiring and retaining teachers, especially as teacher applicant pools continue to dwindle.
The discussion highlighted the important role school leaders play in improving teaching conditions and supporting educators as well as the need to equip administrators with the support and resources they need to foster stronger professional communities. Principals can strengthen instruction through classroom observation, feedback and coaching (note, this requires pedagogical expertise); foster a positive school climate built on trust, communication and recognition; and reduce teacher isolation by creating opportunities for collaborative planning and shared professional learning. Leaders also shape the conditions for success by strategically managing staff assignments, time and budgets to support school improvement goals.- Strengthening collaboration among educators
Presentations highlighted the value of teachers and school leaders working together to improve instruction, share expertise and address inequities in student learning. Rather than leaving educators to solve challenges independently, collaborative approaches can distribute responsibilities, reduce professional isolation and support continuous improvement.
In the opening address, Ellen Goldring noted that [teachers in Lortie's day] "worked in isolation from each other, stuck to their routines, were attached to their communities and had limited opportunities to move or advance in their careers." Grissom added in Session 6 that "Lortie characterizes teaching as an individualized, private endeavor in which teachers may ask one another for advice in passing but seldom work closely together."
In the closing remarks, Jennifer Russell (Vanderbilt University) spoke about her work with improvement networks that give teachers opportunities to engage in collaborative continuous improvement. She noted that these networks are considered by many teachers to be their most effective professional development experience, and they are especially helpful to teachers in rural areas who may be the only subject-area teacher within their grade level.
In a 2021 research synthesis, Grissam, Lindsay and Egalite posted that (1) that teacher collaboration can help drive student learning and (2) that authentic collaboration won’t happen unless leaders actively facilitate it. This need for collaboration became a resulting theme for moving forward to address modern day issues in the school systems.
- Exploring AI’s potential to support teachers
Participants also considered how artificial intelligence could contribute to teachers’ professional learning and daily work load/life balance. Discussions raised possibilities for using AI to assist with instructional planning and reduce some administrative demands, while preserving the time and attention teachers need to support students.
Russell shared an example of a teacher using AI to help with daily tasks, and stated in her closing remarks, “This might free up time for teachers to do the things that provide them the kind of psychic rewards that they derive from teaching, like forming meaningful connections and making sure that every student is known and feels like they belong."
Read more: Explore Vanderbilt University’s recap of the Schoolteacher at 50 conference, including additional insights from presenters and participants.
Looking Ahead
Across the two days, participants considered how research, professional practice and education policy can inform a stronger vision for teaching. Revisiting Lortie’s work offered an opportunity to examine which aspects of the profession remain relevant and which may need to evolve to meet the needs of today’s educators and students.
The conversations pointed toward continued inquiry into how schools can create conditions that support collaboration, professional growth and lasting improvements in teaching and learning.
