Essay On Teacher Shortage

Teachers today face a number of challenges that contribute to a lack of job satisfaction, leaving schools for other professions that are more lucrative, low comparative compensation, and poor working conditions:

As a student in the Education Department at Saint Mary’s College, I have been assigned a set of eight standards to fulfill before graduation. Having these standards guides all students in becoming the necessary well-rounded teacher candidates needed to go into the field of education and ultimately becoming a successful teacher in the future. Each standard relates to a different area, including having a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning processes, the professional environment, and content. Throughout the last two years, I have had a number of opportunities, both in the field and in my classes at Saint Mary’s, to meet these eight standards.

Purpose: To persuade the class to recognize the issue of teacher shortages, consider the proposed ways to correct the issue, and work to rectify the situation.

Back in the 1950s, teaching was considered a noble profession. The men and women that chose the field of education as a career were well respected by parents, students, and the community as a whole. I sat down with a retired teacher, a current teacher and a student working on their education degree, all three from the same family. Mr. Charles Faren is a retired high school teacher, head football coach and assistant principal, Ms. Cheryl Faren is currently a middle school reading teacher for the Clark County School District, and Mr. Matthew Barth is a student at College of Southern Nevada working on his degree in secondary education who is currently working as a gear up tutor at one of the county’s middle schools. The role of a teacher hasn’t necessarily changed over the years, the requirements and expectations have however. Today the educators of America are required to teach what is called common core, they have to prepare students to take standardize exams, with the technology of the internet and social media comes new forms of bullying and harassment that shows up in schools, low wages and now a lack of support and respect that today’s teachers now have to work through.

Remember that one teacher that you loved, that made you want to go to class everyday just because of their pure enthusiasm for teaching, odds are that teacher is paid at least 100 times less than your favorite basketball player. Nowadays, kids dream about becoming a professional basketball and football players, hoping they can become a millionaire doing what they do during recess and gym class. Kids see posters and advertisements glorifying these guys broadcasters talk about on the sports channel. Many hope to be them, but not many hope to become the heroes that affect them and that they see everyday; their teachers. The reason for this is pay. I come from a family of teachers, and have seen the effort that teachers put into helping their students reach their full potential. Additionally, I have also experience first hand the economic stress that teachers’ low paying salary puts on the teachers and their families. Professional athletics live a luxurious life, bouncing balls and making goals, while teachers work overtime struggling to pay the bills.

Many states across the country are experiencing teacher shortages. Without enough teachers, we can not successfully educate our children. According to Glori Chaika “Forty-two states issue emergency credentials to people who have taken no education courses and have not taught a day in their lives. Many teachers are hired based solely on their experience leading church or camping groups.” (Chaika) Due to the shortages, States are allowing those who are not even qualified to teach. One can not believe that children are being educated as best as they can be, if those teaching them have no experience or training before hand. Another problem is that teachers are not being place in the fields were they can perform at their best, Glori Chaika also states that “One-fourth of new teachers -- if they are licensed -- are not licensed to teach in the field they are teaching.” (Chaika) Many teachers have very little knowledge on the subject they are teaching, “About 55 percent of students taking physics in the United States, for example, are taught by someone who never majored or minored in the subject.” ( Asimov) As a result of the current teacher shortage, the quality of America’s educational system has gone down. People are being hired with no teaching experience and teachers are being forced to teacher subjects that they are not familiar with. Adding to the current teacher shortage is the problem of teacher

Across the United States, schools are facing a major teacher shortage as they try to fill positions in science, math, special education, bilingual education, and other fields. The shortage mainly lies in the schools serving low-income or colored students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the student population will increase by about three million in the next decade. While the number of students is multiplying, teacher enrollment in preparation programs is down remarkably, falling 35 percent nationwide in the last five years (Long 2). Not only are more people not entering the teaching profession, multiple teachers are reaching retirement age. Because of the shortage, several states have been loosening their certifications

The United States is currently facing a difficult time with teacher shortages. In North Carolina alone, 14.8 percent of teachers left the profession in the school years of 2014-2015 according to the Public School Forum (Barth et al. 23). Teacher shortage is a crucial topic to keep at the forefront of discussion because it affects the quality of education that students receive and, subsequently, the future of the United States. It is crucial for the United States to enhance student performance in order for the economy and our technological industry to continue improving. One factor that causes the teacher shortage are the different qualifications needed in order to get certified to teach in a certain subject. However, even after completing these qualifications, there have still been cases in which teachers are not being hired because they are either over-qualified or under-qualified. In addition to these educational barriers, North Carolina has some of the lowest numbers for teacher salaries which has led to a decrease of people desiring to enter into this profession and, as a result, those people choose to not major in education or move to other states to teach instead. After all this, it is very clear that one has to be passionate about working in the education profession. Unfortunately, even those who power through these first few hurdles, there are many negative factors that come into the picture as a result of remaining a teacher. Two possible solutions that can help the

Teaching has always been lauded as an altruistic and fulfilling career. What better can one do to contribute to society than educate and prepare the future generation for success? At first glance, there are many attractive characteristics regarding the job: work-free summers, plenty of holidays, and the chance to impact a child’s life forever. However, in recent years, enrollment in teacher preparation programs have been on the decline. Headlines announcing “America’s New Major Teacher Shortage” have filled the news and papers, and Florida has been named as one of the states impacted. More and more teachers seem to be leaving the field. The question, though, is “Why?”. Many might point to the poor pay that teachers are notorious for receiving, but teaching has never been known for making big bucks in the first place. With both new teachers and longtime veterans leaving the field, the problem seems to be something more internal.

“To hell with your career, what is your calling?” It was this quote that led me to the classroom just five years ago. I was convinced that teaching was indeed my calling. I was compelled to make a difference in the world, and felt that there was no better way to do it than by educating young children, that in many ways, whether through life experiences or appearance, resembled me. I knew that this was no easy feat. In fact, it’s no secret that teachers do not make significant amounts of money, and the profession of teaching does not always receive the respect and dignity it is due. But it was that day, in the spring of 2009, after hearing Dr. Joseph E Lowery speak these words, I promised myself to never chase a career, but instead, to always

The low pay for our educators is causing many negative effects. New York Times shows that the low income is causing sixty-two percent of teachers to have a second job outside of their teaching jobs. Just to have enough money to support their families and make ends meet. Most everyone decides to college to prevent having these struggles with money, and to avoid having to work multiple jobs, when they get older; however, not when it comes to living off of only a teacher’s income, the struggles to have enough money are interminable. This low pay is also causing most teachers to retire, and find new jobs. New York Times states, “every year 20 percent of teachers in urban districts quit. Nationwide, 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year. The turnover costs the

The beginning to all professions start in schools. Teachers and the passion of their students fuel them today to become amazing tomorrow. Teachers are needed to prepare children for the real world and for college, making them a keystone in our society. However, for years now teachers have been leaving their jobs for a plethora of reasons. Making more then 1/3 of teachers switch schools or leaves the profession entirely. Today we are facing a crisis; with no one teaching the next generation, our school systems are forced to rely on alternative means that directly impacts our schools and their students. This problem can be solved, but it will take time and effort from many, ranging from the school system to the federal government.

Teaching is a very rewarding career if you learn and understand how to work with the diversity of the classrooms we teach in. As teachers, we need to be more vigilant of where are students come from. Before we can teach we need to know who we are teaching and what background, knowledge, and customs they bring with them to the classroom. We must also be aware of the factors that are relevant to the academic achievement of the students we currently teach. There are many of these factors, but I want to focus on two; teacher quality and low teacher expectations.

When the kids go to school, The quality of their teachers is the most important factor for how well the kids learn. Having good teachers is important for all kids, especially kids who are falling behind. Eric Hanushek, an economist at Stanford, shows that those who are taught by a good teacher can make as much as a year and a half’s worth of progress in a single year. The kids will close the achievement gap. Also, they will catch up faster. But how do we know who is a good teacher? How do we find the best teachers, attract them to school? How do schools help teachers do the best job? How should they reward them? In fact, some schools are working on seeking and rewarding the best teachers. In addition, other schools are looking for better ways to evaluate teachers and help them enhance performance. For example, the Joyce Foundation supports

Elementary teachers not only introduce their students to the basic concepts of core subjects, they also help pave the path to each student’s future success. Education to become a teacher is long and tedious, and while the income may not be the highest available, watching students develop a new skill or grow an appreciation for learning can be very rewarding. Because there will always be a need for education, even with the recent budget cuts, teaching jobs will always have to be available somewhere.