For Kyle D. Waide '95, director of public relations for Teach for America, a national teaching corps, the equation is simple. Law firms, banks and consulting companies all go out of their way to attract top college students. If schools want those students, they need to do the same.

"The fact of the matter is, it is a competitive job market," Waide says. "People are going to go where they feel needed."

Jared R. Small '02 agrees. He has long wanted to become a teacher: Since transferring to Harvard in the fall, Small joined Harvard's Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP), a group that helps students gain experience and training in teaching.

He says he teaches because he has "always loved coaching and working with kids. It's the way I can make a contribution to people. It's a lot of fun, and a rewarding way of making a career."

But Small acknowledges that education has seemed unrewarding to all but the most dedicated.

"It's about having a passion for something,... Teaching is one of the most prestigious things to do, but it's not considered that way by most people," he says.

But he says that new programs like Massachusetts' signing bonus program enhance the respect and support given to education.