Teachers on the Market: A Typology of Teacher Applicants' Missions, Visions, and Values

This study develops, validates, and applies a teacher applicant typology using labor market data. We construct our typology by applying a correlated topic model to 11,000 personal statements teachers submitted as part of their applications for open positions in Wisconsin public schools between 2015 and 2017. We identify seven types of teacher applicants active on the labor market: Inclusivists, Idealists, Nurturers, Generalists, Classroom Experts, Guides, and External Experts. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we explore trends within and among types as well as demographic relationships, labor market behavior, and hiring results. This research provides novel insights into the missions, visions, and values of teacher applicants, links these characteristics to their job market preferences, and provides a sound psychometric foundation for these measures of teacher type to be applied in subsequent research.