Teacher Location Choice and the Distribution of Quality: Evidence from New York City

This paper studies the distribution of teacher quality measures across the New York City school system. Both school-based and neighborhood-based effects are measured; and both types of variables significantly affect the distribution of teacher quality. Schools that are more likely to be in need of higher quality teachers are, in fact, less likely to have them. Further, this paper finds that the location of the school in relation to the suburban borders is an important determinant of the distribution of teacher quality.Teacher Quality, Teacher Location Choice