As teachers flee profession, who will lead next generation?
We all know the basic business model for making widgets. You need raw materials, facilities, managers and talented, hard-working people to transform these materials into product. Recent developments made me conclude that my employer now believes they can achieve making widgets without the hard-working, talented people.
As more and more of my coworkers leave for virtually any other pasture, I began to wonder about the retention policies my employer had in place to keep things running smoothly.
What do I do for a living? I’m a schoolteacher in Brevard County.
Let me tell you how I came to this conclusion. A series of events and a bit of research led me here. First, a very talented teacher working with me at my grade level decided to quit teaching in favor of moving to a full-time position at her second job with a pizza chain. Need I point out that she needed a second job to support her family because of how poorly we pay our teachers here? Yes, she will make more money. When I relayed this story to a friend who had walked away from teaching a few years earlier, she told me she had asked for an exit interview to share why she was leaving and no one ever responded. Then there is the teacher retiring three years early because it isn’t worth the stress of managing with so many fewer teachers and support staff.
Next there was a story in a local newspaper that addressed this very problem in our county. The article mentioned that over the last three years 625 people had left teaching altogether or went to betterpaying positions, including some in higherpaying counties. There were 25 teaching positions left unfilled in the county last school year.
Then there was a visit to my school from our school board representative. She said she was available for anyone who would like to talk to her. I met with her and asked who in the county office was tasked with the issue of retaining teachers. After a few emails back and forth, I was told by a member of the Human Resources staff that they had recently created a new exit survey with their resignation form that “will capture what we hope will be more actionable data.” I emailed her back and asked, would it not be a better idea to get this information before people resign? No response.
I then decided to do some research and this is what I discovered. UCF, which I believe is our number one source for new teachers, is awarding 30% fewer Elementary Education degrees this year compared to four years ago.
I also went to the school board website and found a page entitled “Recruitment and Retention”. There is one short paragraph about how this division is charged with “attracting and employing the most qualified highly motivated diverse staff possible.” Then it directed me to a link entitled Employee Referral Program. It stated that I could help them, a friend and myself by participating in the Employee Referral Program. I could earn a $25 gift card if I referred a teacher applicant who is hired in a Critical Shortage Area (their emphasis) for the first time.
I ask the question: Who is going to keep this process of educating children going if you do not have teachers to do the job? I wonder how the business community, other governmental agencies, and families that are considering moving to the area feel about this information. To both new businesses and new families, a good school system is an important incentive to draw them here. It is nice to have the buildings, playgrounds, technology and administrators in place, but without qualified teachers the whole educational system collapses.
Is anybody out there listening?