Those in charge of public schools and politicians are hypocrites when it comes to the rhetoric surrounding a teacher shortage!
School districts around the country are describing hundreds of classrooms they can’t seem to fill with qualified teachers. This has been a manipulated ploy to get rid of veteran teachers and employ alternative, revolving door unqualified teachers who will settle for smaller salaries.
For example, in Orlando they are crying that they are short 300 teachers. It is a similar story in the rest of the state. Yet, Orlando signed on to Teach for America in 2015, instead of trying to address the problem of teacher retention.
The State of Florida began courting TFA in 2010. They were not alone, following the lead of the U.S. Department of Education which chipped in with a competitive $50 million grant. This was part of a larger piece of the privatization pie.
From the New York Times:
The $650 million was given out in awards of three levels. The four largest awards of nearly $50 million each went to groups proposing to greatly expand programs, like Teach for America and the KIPP charters, that the department viewed has having been proved successful.
It isn’t like school administrators and politicians don’t know they have a problem retaining teachers in Florida or around the rest of the country. The State treats teachers poorly and everyone knows it. They have just willfully decided not to invest in public schools and public school teachers.
If school districts really wanted to attract well-prepared, credentialed teachers, they would make teaching appealing and elevate the status of teachers and teaching professionalism. Does anyone see that happening? No.
They would also try to keep older teachers in the classroom. The love of teaching doesn’t leave you at age 29!
I have consolidated several posts from the past to describe what drives good teachers to leave the classroom. Feel free to add to this list if so desired.
- Lack of control. Teachers are told what and how to teach without being given input. Many schools have signed on to draconian reforms in structured teaching that ignores the needs of the developing student.
- High-Stakes Testing. Teachers understand that high-stakes testing is bad for children. They don’t want to be a part of it. They also don’t want their teaching judged by it.
- A Limited Curriculum. The curriculum is too narrow. Many teachers (e.g. art and music) have not been hired for years.
- Large class sizes. The research is clear that lowering class size especially in k-3rd grade helps students. So why aren’t they working harder to do this?
- Non-supportive school administrators. This could be the school principal or school district administrators who look down on teachers and do as they are told by the outside corporate school reformers. Many of these individuals aren’t even educators!
- The loss of a good library. Many schools no longer have libraries, and if they do, they are often inadequate. Yet, we know that good school libraries improve test scores and help children thrive.
- The loss of support staff. Many school counselors are now relegated to mundane tasks having to do with testing and data collection instead of helping troubled students. A good school relies on a variety of support staff—school psychologists, librarians/media specialists, nurses, school counselors and more.
- Data Collection. Teachers who care about teaching find micromanaging useless school data on a child maddening.
- Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These un-scientific standards were foisted on all teachers and students removing a teacher’s decision-making power. Many teachers distrust CCSS. The Common Core State Standards are such a volatile issue, it was reported yesterday, that WikiLeaks caught the DNC warning they should not be mentioned in the campaign–calling CCSS a “political third rail.” (A third rail is the electrified rail on a subway). HERE. Donald Trump also seems to be dropping the discussion of Common Core.
- Standards in general. The high emphasis on standards started with No Child Left Behind, even earlier, and has done nothing to improve schools.
- Lousy school conditions and poor teaching resources.
- Lacking respect. All of the above lead to a pervasive disrespect of teachers that lacks professionalism.
- Disregard for poverty and a child’s difficulties outside of school. Teachers are caring individuals. They recognize problematic outside circumstances that affect how students learn.
- Lacking special education and ELL support for general education teachers.
- Professional development that is uninspiring.
- An Overemphasis on digital instruction. Teachers are slowly being replaced by competency-based, personalized, individualized–online instruction.
School administrators and politicians know what would keep teachers in the classroom.
They could also work with universities to market an increase in teacher recruitment to quality teacher preparation (not fast-track unproven online programs) that include teachers of color and cultural diversity.
Instead, they are bemoaning the loss of teachers while simultaneously signing on to programs like Teach for America.
That’s why I see the teacher shortage as manufactured.
Or, the older one. HERE.
Finally, someone who speaks the truth about teaching and education.
Thank you for your comment, Lois.
In Duval county, consequences for classroom disruptions are non-existent. Kids can go crazy, curse you and stomp around the room and the dean is handicapped by the district guidelines… Good luck to the kids who actually want to learn…
This data manipulation of not dealing with disruptive students usually well documented in student handbooks, school documents, and school district document to bring statistics into distorted lower numbers are there to ignore the problem and make administrator look good. Ignoring the problem is a major problem. And of course these disruptive students are put right back into the class harming the majority of the students who want to try, who want to show an effort. The bad outliers need to be dealt with as documented and scores in classes will go up 5 points since teachers can focus on those deserving to be in their class and who want to learn.
I really appreciate this post. I am a forced-into-early-retirement teacher who would dearly love to be back in my classroom but the game my reform-fanatic district is playing keeps blaming, harassing and ultimately dismissing experienced teacher after experienced teacher. However, this particular truth is seldom in the news. What IS always in the news? This need to “find more teachers.”
I’m with you, Ciedie. I thought I would teach until I was in my 90s! I knew older teachers when I was in school who were some of the best!. Thank you!
The best thing to do in large districts is to find yourself a position in options, home school or magnet schools and stay put. Otherwise you are always at the whim of the next “reformist” principal who wants to look good by firing teachers. I and another teacher left a school when the other teacher was given a bad eval. The eval didn’t stick but he left and got a position in a magnet school.
Same happened to me. Our union stepped up and resolved it, a year too late, but finally I am proficient again. It never should have happened in the first place! I had the highest improvement rate in our district when all was said and done! It ripped my heart out to be the “chosen one” after 27 years of teaching! I refused to quit and stood my ground and the principal is now gone! All is good again!
Retired after fifty years — what I see in the schools are children and teachers under considerable stress. The workload goes home with most teachers. It has become a 24/7 job with little reward. It is pretty much entirely borken.
The “take home” workload has always been a part of teaching. It is nice that you remind everyone of this. But the new stress factors involve dictated curriculum and student testing and harsh evaluation. And there are a lot of other troubles for teachers–including lousy work conditions. But thank you for your concern.
I have just completed my 45th year of teaching and I still love to teach. That being said, I do not like trying to please every new supervisor and trying every new teaching strategy that shows it’s ugly head. 75% of all new strategies are old ones, reworked. This is my last year to teach, because I have been given “homework” by supervisors to try instead of teaching my students. They are glad I am leaving as this will allow them to hire a less qualified teacher at a lower salary. When it is said, “It’s all about the kids” don’t believe it. It’s about supervisors, front office personal staff and other non classroom personal keeping their jobs. If you are working in education as a no teacher it is because you did not like to be in the classroom. These same people who did not want to stay in the classroom consistently add to our work load so we will not want to be in the classroom.
Good points, Libby. Thank you and good luck!
So true. If a teacher has a concern they are branded a trouble maker and basically asked to leave rather than admit there may be a problem.
I am tired of having to fill in the gaps at home when my own children cant have quality and experienced teachers who know their subject and their craft! This is especially true in core subjects especially math and science. They say they cant find quality teachers? Of course! They have been either forced to retire or driven out by all the nonsense. Ues it is my responsibilitu as a parent to provide support to my kids at home but it is the schools admin and district to provide my children with good teachers….
I wish I had a dollar for every parent who says this. Thank you for putting it in words and sharing,
I am so sick and tired of the enormous work I put in entering useless data. The data is not being used to help students succeed – what a waste of time! My time would be much better spent creating inspiring lessons that reach all learners in the classroom. This is ridiculous, and I’m retiring ASAP!
Lizzy, I cannot imagine what it must be like. So much time appears to be wasted on this. It is troubling. Thank you for sharing and I hope things improve so you don’t retire! But I understand your frustration.
I am a teacher from Georgia that just retired after 32 years. I am not ready to stop teaching but I can not do another year in public school. I am going to teach in a private school where data collection, lack of autonomy, and high stakes testing are not issues. I’m just thankful I had enough years in to retire. I loved teaching in the public school until about 5 years ago. I knew I had to get out before I started hating teaching.
Thank you for sharing, Allison. And good luck with your new job.
On point! Also no thanks to the people who have stayed in education! Why are they giving people incentives who will be gone in 3-5 years! Seen it over and over! At least one person gets it! Thank you!
Teachers and some administrators stay in education for a variety of good reasons. The corporate education reformers have ideas and power to change how children are educated. If teachers are paid knowing they will leave in a few years, they will never rise to a higher level on the pay scale. Thanks, Beth.
I came to teaching late after several types of work. For years I stole the military slogan when people asked how I liked teaching: the toughest job I ever loved. Endlessly changing, a steep learning curve, meeting and touching so many young lives-I did love it and was good at it. I chose early retirement because of a family health issue, but it was an easy decision because of all the points of this article. I miss teaching the way it was when I began nearly two decades ago, The madness that is now the testing debacle has deep roots, as does the poor treatment of teachers. Somehow, my younger optimistic self believed that respect and compensation for educators who chose to stay in the classroom would grow. Of course, it did not.
One point of clarification on #10 that could easily be misread by someone not familiar with what is occurring in our schools. Teachers do not dislike having high standards in general and guidelines for what grade level work is and should be. What they dislike is the continual dissection and dilution of learning goals that are then arbitrarily numbered and prioritized, in order to be “tested.” These are given to each teacher in a sheaf of papers at the beginning of each year. Districts vary in how they ask teachers to use them.
i do not miss the toxic culture school had become. I pity the students. I pray for our nation, present and future.
Great points! Thank you for such a thorough comment! Sorry you are not still teaching.
I understand your points. How could any of this be corrected? I am constantly reading statements regarding this problem caused for this reason by this group… ( Admin., etc.) … but not one person ever has stated any ideas to help 1) Identify the cause of the problems 2) Lay out a plan to correct them 3) Implement with the aggressiveness it deserves. Somewhere along the line (probably lost in a computer with a failed hard drive in a closet) we have forgotten how to override the unproductive silliness that seems to govern us now whether in business, training, GOVERNMENT, etc.. It seems to me that there are too many people sitting around in armchairs with nothing else to do than make up hoops for the people that get the work done to jump through in order to justify their position. I saw a point in another comment stating that the people that didn’t want to stay in the classroom were the ones that were in Admin. Maybe it would make more sense to have an Admin that WASN’T an educator? That will get some fur up on th back of some necks then, won’t it? But seriously, an HVAC company doesn’t have a Technician as a Controller, then they would have all of the tools they needed. Or possibly ever wanted. Which is why you don’t want a Technician as a controller. At the same time you don’t want a Controller overseeing the maintenance of the building the company owns. Nothing ever gets fixed. This runaway train at the end of the day is really because there are so many people involved in the process who have so many varying opinions that kneejerk reactions are what govern the process. No follow through, no completion. Just kneejerks. There isn’t enough time invested in a methodology for anything else than that before the next “BETTER WAY/BIG THING/GRAND MASTER PLAN” from the next administration hits. You barely have time to begin to get proficient with the last one for Pete’s sake. And the temporary Administrator (because that’s all they are) has us so worried about losing our livelihoods that no one ever even attempts to do anything about the madness they have implemented.
All this being said- GRANTED- we have to move forward and keep up with the pace of technology but the answer here is NOT the next big thing; rather; HAVING A TEACHER STUDENT RATIO that will allow enough one on one time to make the desired difference in the test scores and more importantly giving the students; (remember them?); the retention of useful information that they deserve. Anyone teaching account balancing? How to build credit?
Steps off soap box. Remembers Eugene Debbs.
I was a teacher, my father was a teacher, my brother was a teacher … and my oldest son is a teacher. BUT I advised my youngest son to seek out a different career several years back … when the handwriting was already on the wall.
Broke my heart. But I sure as hell did the right thing.
Thank you, Denis. I know a lot of parents who do this and it breaks my heart too, but I certainly understand. Isn’t it a worry though, as to who will teach in the future? I think it paves the way for online instruction. Sad.
Hallelujah!!! Thank you so much for speaking the truth!!! We are tired of being treated like factory workers!! I have been teaching ESL f/14 yrs & others have put in more yrs than me, & our schools are run by businessmen who have no clue about what or students need!! WE. are the ones w/the expertise, & admins don’t want our “2 cents”!! We are sick & tired of the lack of respect!!! In other countries, teachers are revered!! And WE need to be revered in the U.S.. The problem?? Teachers are afraid to speak up in fear of losing their jobs!!! I’m sick of the corruption!! Our union was in bed w/the board!! I. Sick of the nepotism!! People who have only been in the classroom less than a year & become principals!!!
You make excellent points and many agree with your points. Thank you so much for adding to the conversation, Harra!
Totally true. I’m one of those teachers. I planned to continue but decided it wasn’t worth the frustrations.
I’m sorry, Lana. I always hate to hear of teachers leaving. But I certainly understand.
This is an excellent, succinct list, but it’s clearly lacking three more GIGANTIC reasons teachers leave: 1) growing amounts of disruptive, defiant, apathetic, or verbally abusive student behavior, which are totally ignored by policy makers and the press, 2) shamefully low pay compared to virtually any other profession demanding similar credentials, and 3) the out-of-control “off duty” workload, which is taken for granted or dismissed by many. Teachers are seen as somewhat pathetic charity workers who should shut up and be thankful for their lowly position in life, Thank you for bringing all the other issues to light.
Great points! Student behavior is even more difficult with huge class sizes. The other two factors are ongoing problems as well. Thank you!
Thank-you so much for addressing this issue! My husband & I wrote a “Guest Viewpoint” (Max. words allowed:500) on this topic & it was published by our newspaper. We were pleased that Diane Ravitch included it in her blog in June. Here it is: How to Correct the Teacher Shortage
By Janice & Geoffrey Strauss
The educational leadership in NYS has been abysmal in the recent past. Governor Cuomo’s irrational vendetta against teachers and public education, aided and abetted by the NYS legislature and former Commissioner John King’s inept handling of Common Core, charter schools and the public education system have all led to such a toxic atmosphere in education that few candidates want to even get near public school teaching. Those in education forecasted this shortage years ago and it has now finally been recognized by the The Press’s editorial on Sunday demanding attention to the need for more teachers.
If corrective action is to be successful, then a complete reversal of the policies advocated by the NYS government must begin forthwith. The TeachNY initiative is mere smoke and mirrors and does not address the real needs. We must make public school teaching attractive again and here is a short list of what should be done:
1. Eliminate the EdTPA. This system, promoted as increasing standards for teachers is in reality so onerous and poorly thought out that it is discouraging qualified applicants to the profession. It costs both teacher candidates and the State millions and has resulted in teacher candidates being LESS prepared for teaching rather than more so.
2. Eliminate standardized testing both in the public schools and for teacher candidate preparation. Research shows the best indicator of a student’s success is their GPA, not standardized test scores. Standardized testing merely adds to the coffers of the private testing industry. Reinstitute teacher created Regent’s exams. Teacher created exams are age appropriate, more accurately test the learning of students and cost much less than corporate prepared tests.
3. Let teachers mark their own students’ tests. It’s cheaper and better.
4. Eliminate corporate “canned” teaching modules created to meet Common Core Standards and allow teachers to create their lesson plans. Teachers are the experts; release their creativity so that they can teach students properly.
5. Make the teaching profession attractive financially. Eliminate Tiers V & VI in the teacher retirement system. One of the trade offs teachers had accepted for the relatively low pay for the amount of education required was a decent pension. Tiers V & VI were created to punish teachers, not reward them for their service.
6. Create a “Teacher Bar Association” to establish educational requirements for teachers for both public and charter schools thus officially recognizing that teaching is a profession. Lawyers, doctors and CPAs are experts in their fields, as are teachers in theirs.
7. Establish a program to help raise the status of teaching in the public’s consciousness. Few want to enter a profession which is constantly derided by politicians and the press.
8. Common Core has been a disaster, eliminate it. While the intent was perhaps a good one, it was created by non-educators more for political and profit motives than educational ones.
If we want more teachers, we must make the profession attractive both financially and creatively. Let teachers, do what they do best – teach!
This is wonderful! I don’t know how I missed it. But thank you so much for sharing!
I’ve been teaching for 8 years and agree with just about everything you’ve said here. It saddens/angers me that so much control over education is taken away from teachers. We would never ask a bunch of people with no medical experience to dictate what should happen in an operating room. Why is it the case in schools? But when it comes down to it, I still love my job and love my students. Teachers need to stand up for ourselves and each other and fight for sanity in education. Keep educating ourselves through quality professional development (even though we often have to pay for it ourselves) and not lay down and just take whatever mindless nonsense administration (whether local, state or federal) throws at us. TEACHER POWER! =)
Aubrey, I agree. Teachers sometimes have difficulty working together because the system isn’t always set up for it. But when they do, they can push back on harmful school reform and it can be powerful. Also, when they work with parents there is strength in numbers. Thank you!
Administrators from all levels should be required to return to the classroom for one year after their fourth year out of the classroom. They should be subjected to the same level of supervision and intrusion. On the other hand, teachers should be rotated out of difficult situations to avoid burnout.
Those of us educated before testing turned out great. Some of us went on to college while others chose a different path. But we all learned to read, write, and balance our check book. And for that we should thank those old teachers.
Teaching is my second career but after 22 years I am burned out. Still, I look forward to the new batch in the fall and hope for a better year.
I remember when principals were often teachers too. It isn’t a bad idea. I also like your suggestion that teachers rotate when they have difficult classes to avoid burnout.
I think we all turned out pretty good too, Delma! Ha. I do wonder about the future student though. Thank you!
My husband and I wrote about the exact same issue last year. Here’s the link to out newspaper Guest Viewpoint. http://www.pressconnects.com/story/opinion/2016/06/24/guest-viewpoint-teacher-shortage/86335626/
I have taught for 32 years in a public school
I now take the following stance: I still love teaching but I HATE education.
My idea for attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers into Title 1 schools offers significant pay raises without costing local districts any money at all. Sound too good to be true? Maybe not:
Title 1, teachers who have earned tenure (or the equivalent) work tax free! No state and no federal taxes. It’s not only a very significant pay increase, but there is a very appealing psychological attraction for many people. The approximate 10 billion dollars/yr could easily be skimmed out of the defense budget or general slush fund. If a tenured, tax free teacher decides to leave their school district they lose their tax free status.
#title1teachersworktaxfree
A wonderfully written post that is sad but true. I retired in June after 42 years in education. I am one of those older teachers you so lovingly refer to. I would have taught for at least 2 years longer, but the exponentially increasing workload both at home and at school, the endless data collection, administrators who were quick to jump on the latest bandwagon from the “experts” and force the ways of the “experts” on teachers who knew better, a standards-based evaluation system that while supposedly more objective than a narrative one but in reality allowed the administrator to play favorites and on and on. Kids are losing their enthusiasm for and love of learning and we are professionally so stressed out and pressured trying to juggle all the balls we are given that it just didn’t become worth it any more Add to that a decreased paycheck thanks to legislation in my state about health care premium sharing and increased pension contributions and it was time to throw in the towel. All of your points were right on, and I thank you for so eloquently making them. I hope true reform, inspired by the teachers, is able to take root and address them.
Thank you, Robin. I am sorry you couldn’t keep teaching, but I understand. You also wrote a great summary here in this comment about why teachers leave. I’m sure it will be appreciated by other teachers whose hearts are heavy about leaving early. I hope things will turn around. Very best to you.