Abstract: The poliey tool classification model of Howlett and Ramesh is used to investigate and analyze the historical changes and basic characteristics of teacher resources allocation policy tools in compulsory education. It is found that the allocation of teacher resources in China's compulsory education have experienced four different development stages: (1) the allocation with simple mandatory policy tools, (2) the allocation dominated by mandatory policy tools and supplemented voluntary policy tools, (3) the allocation with extensive use of voluntary policy tools and the expanded use of mixed policy tools, (4) the allocation with improved mandatory policy tools. The basic characteristics of the change of policy tools include the combination of fracture change and gradual change, change from a single policy tool to a combination of multiple policy toolbox, and the value orientation change from urban orientation to rural orientation. To promote the balanced allocation of teacher resources in compulsory education, it is necessary to form a human, collaborative and systematic policy toolbox with top-level design, giving full play to the basic function of voluntary policy tools in the allocation of teacher resources, strengthening the functions of correction and standard of mandatory policy tools for the allocation of teacher resources, and strengthening the guiding function of mixed policy tools in the allocation of teacher resources.