The attempt to rapidly increase access to primary education in developing countries like India over the past decade has created a need to commensurately increase the number of teachers in the system. In order to meet the burgeoning demand for additional teachers amidst fiscal constraints, India has chosen to actively promote the hiring of contract teachers. This paper reviews the appointments, salary structure, and training of contract teachers, and presents the argument that the salary and work conditions of contract teachers in India as well as the lack of adequate training negatively impacts their motivation, morale and long-term commitment to teaching, with potentially serious implications for education quality. A synthesis of the literature on teacher preparation in the United States is also presented in order to analyze how this body of knowledge can better inform the contract teacher debate in India.