TEACH and Ad Council Launch Integrated Public Education Campaign to Recruit the Next Great Generation of Teachers

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Half of our nation's teachers will be eligible to retire over the next decade, creating an urgent need to recruit talented individuals into the teaching profession who will lead the transformation of our education system. That's why TEACH and the Ad Council have partnered to launch Make More, a new public awareness campaign to recruit the next great generation of teachers. TEACH is a collaboration among the U.S. Department of Education, leading U.S. companies including Microsoft and State Farm, national education organizations and teacher associations.

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"Teachers are among our nation's most valuable resources," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "They are leaders and innovators with passion and perseverance. They help our students succeed in the classroom and in the workforce. And, in doing so, they shape the future of our communities and our country."

Make More aims to recruit the nation's best and brightest students into the teaching profession through public service announcements (PSAs), and digital and grassroots programming. Created pro bono by advertising agency mcgarrybowen, the PSAs feature innovative lessons inspired by real teachers who are reinventing the teaching profession for the 21^st century. The PSAs demonstrate that teachers make more than a paycheck; they make a lasting impact on generations of students.

"Teacher recruitment is an economic issue as well as an educational issue," said Ed Rust, CEO of State Farm. Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Education, Public Sector, Microsoft, noted: "The TEACH coalition is calling on corporations to band together and address the pipeline of teachers. We need great teachers to educate and sustain our own pipeline of skilled workers."

Research shows that a child who learns from a top teacher earns more over the course of a lifetime. One study estimates that merely replacing a low-performing teacher with an average one would increase students' lifetime income by approximately $250,000 per classroom.¹

"The campaign was motivated by the fact that only nine percent of students in the top-third of their class are considering the teaching profession. They perceive teaching – inaccurately, but pervasively – as contrary to their ambitions," said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. "The PSAs show students that the entrepreneurial and engaging, inspiring and impactful, financially and emotionally rewarding opportunities they seek in a career can be found in the teaching profession."

Students who encounter the television, radio, outdoor and digital PSAs are encouraged to visit TEACH.org to explore the teaching profession and determine if it's the right career choice for them. The site walks interested students through interactive pathways to become a teacher, depending on their education, location and interests. It also connects students with information about certification for various teaching jobs.

"Teaching is different from what students might think," said Cliff Skeete, Group Creative Director of mcgarrybowen. "Working with the TEACH coalition, we set out to disrupt current perceptions by developing creative executions that show teachers in a new and modern light."

Students are encouraged to engage with the campaign on social channels now and participate in recruitment events on college campuses starting in Spring 2014. On approximately 50 college campuses, in 10 key markets – Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. – student ambassadors, who are interested in pursuing a career in the classroom and will serve as hosts of the campus events, will reintroduce their peers to the teaching profession and, if it's a good fit, guide them on the career path.

TEACH will focus its recruitment on specific populations. There is a need to recruit individuals into teaching who represent the nation's increasingly diverse student body and can effectively prepare students for the jobs of the future, many of which will be in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

Individual supporters of the campaign can encourage today's students to become tomorrow's teachers by signing up for the campaign's Thunderclap at www.TEACH.org. Thunderclap is best described as an online flash mob; supporters sign up to post messages to their social channels at an appointed time – Monday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. EST, during American Education Week – resulting in simultaneous shows of support.

Per the Ad Council model, PSAs are distributed to media outlets nationwide and run and air in advertising time and space donated by the media. To view the PSAs and learn how teachers Make More, visit www.TEACH.org.

TEACH
Half of America's teachers will be eligible to retire over the next decade. We have an urgent need and unprecedented opportunity to drive the transformation of K-12 education by encouraging and empowering our nation's most talented students to teach. TEACH is leading the movement to recruit the next generation of teachers by redefining the profession as a top career choice. This public-private partnership includes the U.S. Department of Education, leading U.S. companies including Microsoft and State Farm, education organizations and teacher associations. To learn more, visit www.TEACH.org, like us at Facebook.com/TEACH.org or follow us on Twitter @TEACHorg.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshaling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook.com/adcouncil, follow us on Twitter @adcouncil or view our PSAs on YouTube.

¹ http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/w19424.pdf

SOURCE Ad Council