Why is there a teacher shortage?

[Anonymous]

If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

[Anonymous]

I always planned to teach at least 30 years but this is my 20th in VA. I don’t know if I will go back next year. I still enjoy working with students but the demands from administrators and busy work with useless testing and never ending paperwork is too much. I can collect a small pension and I’m still young enough to do something else. Covid and the lack of respect from my school may be the tipping point. Contrary to what we see here, the parents have been wonderful and supportive. It’s administrators driving me out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

That only works if there's not a shortage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

That only works if there's not a shortage.

The part that I'll add to this is that it doesn't make sense that teachers with experience get paid substantially more than new teachers. An MCPS teacher can nearly double their salary in real dollars over their career. Is a teacher with 20 years of experience really twice as efficient? Can they teach twice as many kids, or have them learn twice as much?

Some increase makes sense, but definitely not anything close to 2x. That's the result of the teachers unions screwing over new teachers. Another example of boomers sticking it to millennials and generation Xers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

How would that work? Extra hours? Stipends for extra duties? How would performance be measured for pay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

How would that work? Extra hours? Stipends for extra duties? How would performance be measured for pay?

The main things that come to mind are standardized tests and principal/peer evaluations.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, at this point, I would be ok with someone with a simple bachelors degree that passes a background check to teach my K student and my 5th grader. Save the ones with masters and teacher "certification" for MS and HS.

Anything but DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/america-has-a-teacher-shortage-and-a-new-study-says-its-getting-worse/2016/09/14/d5de1cee-79e8-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html


Washington Post article claims there's been a dramatic decrease in new teachers entering the profession:

"Enrollment in teacher-preparation programs dropped from 691,000 in 2009 to 451,000 in 2014, a 35 percent decline, according to the study, “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S.”"

It also claims nearly 2/3 of teachers leave before retirement age.

If teaching is supposed to be such a cushy job, "summers off, home by 3", and so well paid with great benefits ... why aren't people rushing to become teachers?

Women have more choices now and donMt have to remain in abusive relationships whether they are romantic or professional.

Bingo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

You’ve obviously never ever been a teacher.

[Anonymous]

I was so reluctant to leave public school teaching because of my cheap healthcare and tenure. That was about eight years ago. At the time, I was getting mistreated by my supervisor (think “metoo” stuff) and felt I had to look elsewhere. I ended up taking a job in a private school with more expensive benefits, about equal pay and no protections. I also ended up loving my job again, getting my contract renewed year after year because I’m good at what I do, and eventually made up the salary gap. I also don’t have to work with people who underperform or abuse others, at least not for long anyway, because they don’t get their contract renewed. We have a few openings right now because there are teachers who don’t want to return in person, and we are instructing kids in person, and we are getting a deluge of applications from teachers in local public schools who would have to break their contract to come work for us. They don’t have any loyalty to their employer because their employer has no loyalty to them, and they know it. Whoever we hire, meanwhile, will be so lucky. My coworkers are like family to me, and so are my students and their families. It’s been like landing on another planet. I would do anything to support my school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

Most of the school systems with pay for performance don't offer good salaries to begin with. It is typically something that anti-teacher and anti-union areas try to suggest, but it is really just a tactic to lower overall teacher salaries or remove more expensive teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

How would that work? Extra hours? Stipends for extra duties? How would performance be measured for pay?

The main things that come to mind are standardized tests and principal/peer evaluations.

Only a few subjects have standardized tests. Using standardized tests would punish teachers working in lower achieving schools. Principal and peer evaluations are too subjective and personal. It it also a huge amount of work for those staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

That only works if there's not a shortage.

The part that I'll add to this is that it doesn't make sense that teachers with experience get paid substantially more than new teachers. An MCPS teacher can nearly double their salary in real dollars over their career. Is a teacher with 20 years of experience really twice as efficient? Can they teach twice as many kids, or have them learn twice as much?

Some increase makes sense, but definitely not anything close to 2x. That's the result of the teachers unions screwing over new teachers. Another example of boomers sticking it to millennials and generation Xers.

This is an absolutely ridiculous sentiment. Of COURSE someone with 20 years of experience should be paid twice as much as entry level. Every other salary-based profession works this way so they can retain people in the profession and hire/keep trained people in the job. Otherwise the person is churning their wheels for no reward over a career path. Would you want to be at barely more than you make at entry level 20 years from now? Why in the world would you go into a profession like that?? And spend tons of money on a college degree to do it?? I’m not even a teacher and can easily see how foolhardy that would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there was really a teacher shortage, teachers should trade tenure protections for higher pay. No district is going to needlessly fire a good teacher if there's a shortage, and Republicans would probably get behind it, particularly if it included a pay-for-performance element.

That has not worked well for teachers in private schools or charters. A friend taught at a charter in another city. She was warned that the board liked to cycle out even good teachers every three years so no one cost too much.

That only works if there's not a shortage.

The part that I'll add to this is that it doesn't make sense that teachers with experience get paid substantially more than new teachers. An MCPS teacher can nearly double their salary in real dollars over their career. Is a teacher with 20 years of experience really twice as efficient? Can they teach twice as many kids, or have them learn twice as much?

Some increase makes sense, but definitely not anything close to 2x. That's the result of the teachers unions screwing over new teachers. Another example of boomers sticking it to millennials and generation Xers.

This is an absolutely ridiculous sentiment. Of COURSE someone with 20 years of experience should be paid twice as much as entry level. Every other salary-based profession works this way so they can retain people in the profession and hire/keep trained people in the job. Otherwise the person is churning their wheels for no reward over a career path. Would you want to be at barely more than you make at entry level 20 years from now? Why in the world would you go into a profession like that?? And spend tons of money on a college degree to do it?? I’m not even a teacher and can easily see how foolhardy that would be.

So, equal pay for equal work shouldn't apply to age? At least, not if the young person is the one getting screwed?

There aren't many professions where you can double your salary without taking on additional responsibilities or being able to otherwise demonstrate additional value. The only exceptions I can think of are union jobs. It makes no sense, and only happens where established union workers are happy to throw young people under the bus.