Appreciating teachers isn’t enough; we’ve got to help generate more
In my role overseeing students who are teacher candidates participating in student teaching assignments and practicums, I have the pleasure of regularly visiting local K-12 schools. On one recent school visit, a colleague and I brought along a platter of baked goods to show our appreciation for the teachers and their hard work and dedication. “Next time,” the principal of the school joked, “you can send us teachers.” She’s got a point.
During Teacher Appreciation Week this year, let’s skip the homemade gifts, gift cards and lunches to thank teachers and instead focus on the current teacher shortage crisis. The only way that we can really show our appreciation for teachers is by making sure that there are enough of them in the pipeline.
According to federal data released in March, 44% of public schools report at least one teaching vacancy, half of which are due to resignations. Additionally, a poll by the National Education Association released in February showed that 55% of educators indicate that they are ready to leave the profession.
We are in a period of critical importance to ensure that the teacher pipeline continues to be filled with not just teachers, but with high-quality teachers. So, what will it take to ensure that this teacher pipeline is flowing with enough high-quality teachers for every classroom?
First, we need to make sure that the pipeline is not being choked off by unnecessary legislation. While I applaud Maryland for trying to address the teacher need by creating the “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future,” which outlines reforms and teacher improvement efforts, including a higher minimum salary of $60,000 a year, there are larger issues looming than just a higher beginning teacher salary that I am afraid are being overlooked.
Recent news about Harvard University closing its undergraduate education program due to low enrollment, on the heels of data predicting more than 300,000 vacant teacher positions by 2025, is alarming. And what should be most troubling is that this decision was made after bureaucratic obstacles had made it increasingly difficult for Harvard undergraduate students to fulfill teacher licensing requirements.
Frankly, the bureaucracy in teacher preparation is overwhelming. Students can barely complete the mandated state requirements in four years. To complicate matters, the “Blueprint for Maryland’s Future” recommends 180 days of an internship. While this sounds great in theory; in reality, in combination with course requirements, this can easily add a year to an education program.
In addition, there is an increased financial burden on teacher candidates. Elementary teacher candidates in Maryland spend approximately $600 on required testing to receive a certificate in the state — and that is if they pass all the tests on the first attempt.
Couple all of this with the negative conversation and commentary surrounding the teaching profession, and there is no wonder that there are such low enrollments in teacher preparation programs.
To make change requires us to rethink how teachers are prepared, how we induct teachers into the profession and how we continue to support teachers beyond just
one week of teacher appreciation and a few “thank yous” sprinkled here and there.
I’ve seen the critical need for teachers from multiple perspectives after spending over 30 years in public education as a teacher, principal and a central office administrator, and now seeing this situation through a higher-ed lens. The bottom line is that we need to make changes in how we prepare and treat teachers.
Without a definitive transformation in the public mindset about education, which includes highlighting teaching as a career choice, particularly in the subjects of math and science; eliminating barriers within the teacher pipeline, such as expensive mandatory tests; and ensuring that students can complete teacher education programs in four years, we will not be able to generate enough interest in the profession in order to have high quality teachers in every classroom.