In recent years, everyone from U.S Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to local school leaders has been pushing to get high-quality teachers into classrooms. Illinois too wants to be more selective on who can even become a teacher. But the way state education officials are weeding out teacher candidates has raised red flag. That’s because tougher entry standards are coming at a cost—fewer minorities are on track to become teachers. We talk with reporter Odette Yousef who recently wrote about this topic and Anne Hallett, director of Grow Your Own Illinois, which focuses on recruiting more minorities into teaching. Photo: Flickr/Robert Couse-Baker