One thing that is always mentioned in how to create a better future for individuals and society at large is quality education. I fundamentally believe this to be true, and I don’t doubt that you agree. That is why it is a tragedy to see the institution of education be underfunded and under-appreciated. We have an issue in our country and that is a teacher shortage crisis. My goal is to lay out some solutions we can do to address this issue and raise awareness to how bad the situation has gotten in recent years.
The teacher shortage crisis is a crisis that needs to be addressed at many levels. From the individual, district, state, and federal level, I will be touching on the responsibilities of each group and what they can do to help address the teacher shortage crisis. This is so that we can stem and eliminate the teacher shortage as this will help provide a better education for the next generation of students.
Even before the pandemic, the teaching profession faced a wave of teacher retirements. The pandemic and the culture wars have made the looming teacher shortage worse. According to a survey of teachers by the EdWeek Research Center and commissioned by Merrimack College, the results “suggest a deep disillusionment of many teachers who feel overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated, with potential implications for a once-in-a-generation shift in the teaching profession.” The teachers in the survey cite low pay and lack of control over their schedules as major factors in their job dissatisfaction. Another factor: “Teachers’ growing perception that the general public does not understand or appreciate their work,” according to the survey results. I conducted my own survey for a state competition where I found similar results.
I want to begin with looking at what education leaders can do to address the problem. Educational leaders work as principals, assistant principals, athletic directors, headmasters, lead teachers or deans exc. Essentially they are professionals who work within the education institution. They are in the trenches and understand the job at the most basic level. Educational leaders have many responsibilities. We as the public see their primary responsibility as facilitating learning among the next generation. However this is only one part of the job.
Education leaders are responsible for many things like budgets, school discipline, and for allocating resources to faculty and staff. However, one power that all educational leaders have and need to use is the ability to create a positive work environment. In many professions the work environment (company culture) is what helps retain and attract individuals to work in said profession. This is why emphasizing the creation of a positive school environment is important as it’s something that any school can attempt for free and will improve job satisfaction.
Problems with the job often start in the classroom. Student behavior has been cited by many teachers as a reason for them leaving the profession for many years. Educational leaders need to assist teachers every day with problems in their classroom. As I mentioned, school discipline is the responsibility of education leaders, having clear disciplinary actions is something that needs to be set up and enforced. This will help solve the behavior problems as well as teachers feeling supported and valued by the administration.
Education leaders need to work in Professional Learning Communities also known as PLC’s. PLC’s have been a major reason why teachers stay. Educators go into groups that meet regularly, share expertise, and work to improve teaching skills and academic performance of students. They find a group that they can belong to as well as receive help from. When done right PLC’s can create positive change in teaching practices and skills which can help them be better prepared for the classroom.
Finally we need to have an emphasis on supporting first year teachers and relatively new teachers. Experienced educational leaders can help guide, provide support and mentor new professionals that are already in education. This is especially important in addressing the issue as 44% of teachers leave the profession within five years in part due to difficulties in the classroom. (Anon, 2011, Ed.gov) With studies being consistent that eight percent leave the profession entirely every year and another eight percent move positions within the education industry.
So what can school districts do to address the teacher shortage crisis? One thing that is a given is raising teacher pay. Teachers have been paid less than other college graduates for decades which is why their salaries are notoriously bad. With studies showing that on average teachers make 75 cents for every dollar other professionals with a similar education make.
Now let’s focus on the eight percent that move positions in the education institution every year, why do they move schools? A major reason if not the principal reason why teachers and other education leaders move positions within the profession is often due to lower pay and lack of resources in their current facility. Teachers often list pursuing better pay for a reason why they go work in a different district, school, or profession entirel. These are usually wealthy districts, and oftentimes these teachers know that the schools in these districts have more resources due to having more money. Not only will they receive better pay but they will also have more class resources allowing them to teach more effectively.
So what can school districts do to address the teacher shortage crisis? Addressing and eliminating the resource and pay disparities between different schools and districts needs to be step one stemming the issue. Without addressing this issue
Throwing things on the paper: Asked on google: how has education funding changed over time Over the past four decades, California K–12 education spending has increased by 1.5 times and higher education spending has increased by 1.7 times. In comparison, spending on police and corrections has nearly tripled and spending on health and hospitals and public welfare has more than quadrupled. How is education funded in the U.S?: Public schools are funded through a combination of local, state, and federal dollars. In the 1920s, local governments provided more than 80 percent of school funding; today, state and local governments provide an equal share of school funding, with the federal government covering less than 10 percent.
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