Why is there a teacher shortage?

[Anonymous]

I think the poster is explaining that the school hours for teachers used to be more aligned for the school hours for students. This might be true if a teacher teaches in the same school that their kids attend. I teach in a neighboring district (much higher pay than the district where my DD attends). I drop her off at the before school care program at 7am and commute to my school (I have to be there by 7:45). I pick her up from after-care because I work 2-3 hours after school grading, planning , meetings, etc. So even though I work 7 paid hours each day, I still have to pay for before and after school care just like other working parents because I work as many hours (or more) than they do. Even if I worked in the same district as my DD, I'd have to do the same thing. I hope I can save the childcare money once she goes to MS b/c as a single parent, it is killing me to pay appr. $375/month for it. I have the dilemma in the summer of trying to find a job that pays enough to break even after paying for childcare/camp. If I am lucky enough to be chosen to teach summer school, I drive my DD to my parent's house nearly an hour away so I can work for the half day of summer school. I haven't found another job that pays as much as summer school though and I don't get picked for it each year. I do tutoring but it isn't a guaranteed income which is what I need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the poster is explaining that the school hours for teachers used to be more aligned for the school hours for students. This might be true if a teacher teaches in the same school that their kids attend. I teach in a neighboring district (much higher pay than the district where my DD attends). I drop her off at the before school care program at 7am and commute to my school (I have to be there by 7:45). I pick her up from after-care because I work 2-3 hours after school grading, planning , meetings, etc. So even though I work 7 paid hours each day, I still have to pay for before and after school care just like other working parents because I work as many hours (or more) than they do. Even if I worked in the same district as my DD, I'd have to do the same thing. I hope I can save the childcare money once she goes to MS b/c as a single parent, it is killing me to pay appr. $375/month for it. I have the dilemma in the summer of trying to find a job that pays enough to break even after paying for childcare/camp. If I am lucky enough to be chosen to teach summer school, I drive my DD to my parent's house nearly an hour away so I can work for the half day of summer school. I haven't found another job that pays as much as summer school though and I don't get picked for it each year. I do tutoring but it isn't a guaranteed income which is what I need.

Yup, my child's school is 3 miles from the school where I teach and people are surprised when I tell them my child attends before and aftercare. They think my work hours are the same as my child's hours in school.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious what are the experiences of teachers at TJ or Sidwell - i.e. places with 'self-selecting' student bodies.

Is teacher satisfaction up super high in those schools?

[Anonymous]

Historically, teaching was a "female" profession. Now that more and better doors are open to women, they are opting out of teaching. Maybe there needs
To be a bigger push to attract male teachers?

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of it is probably the lack of growth/advancement opportunities. It's a good job straight out of school compared to what is available, but when you are five years in and see your friends starting to get promotions and raises it starts to feel like you are missing out. I think it would be good if schools had positions like "senior teacher" where you get paid more and get more admin resources, to give younger teachers something to work towards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of it is probably the lack of growth/advancement opportunities. It's a good job straight out of school compared to what is available, but when you are five years in and see your friends starting to get promotions and raises it starts to feel like you are missing out. I think it would be good if schools had positions like "senior teacher" where you get paid more and get more admin resources, to give younger teachers something to work towards

I am a team leader at my school but there is no extra pay for it and we aren't given a lighter class load either. We rotate the job every year because it is exhausting. School districts just don't have the money for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of it is probably the lack of growth/advancement opportunities. It's a good job straight out of school compared to what is available, but when you are five years in and see your friends starting to get promotions and raises it starts to feel like you are missing out. I think it would be good if schools had positions like "senior teacher" where you get paid more and get more admin resources, to give younger teachers something to work towards

I am a team leader at my school but there is no extra pay for it and we aren't given a lighter class load either. We rotate the job every year because it is exhausting. School districts just don't have the money for this.

Yeah more work with no additional pay was not what I meant. I meant having a second band of teachers who get promoted based on merit/performance to a higher paying job. Maybe have lower starting salaries to find those higher salaries. I just think psychologically it is tough to get motivated if you have basically topped out in your job the day you start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of it is probably the lack of growth/advancement opportunities. It's a good job straight out of school compared to what is available, but when you are five years in and see your friends starting to get promotions and raises it starts to feel like you are missing out. I think it would be good if schools had positions like "senior teacher" where you get paid more and get more admin resources, to give younger teachers something to work towards

I am a team leader at my school but there is no extra pay for it and we aren't given a lighter class load either. We rotate the job every year because it is exhausting. School districts just don't have the money for this.

Yeah more work with no additional pay was not what I meant. I meant having a second band of teachers who get promoted based on merit/performance to a higher paying job. Maybe have lower starting salaries to find those higher salaries. I just think psychologically it is tough to get motivated if you have basically topped out in your job the day you start.

Sie, but then you run into the questions of, "On what do you base merit/performance? How is that measured?".

[Anonymous]

Re: how to measure merit, isn't that a question in every job? I'm sure the principals know who works hard and is good at their job and who doesn't/isn't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: how to measure merit, isn't that a question in every job? I'm sure the principals know who works hard and is good at their job and who doesn't/isn't

I don't know. Most teachers at my school work hard. I can't say anybody doesn't do their job. How do you measure "works hard"? What makes a teacher better than another?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: how to measure merit, isn't that a question in every job? I'm sure the principals know who works hard and is good at their job and who doesn't/isn't

I would rather teachers get extra pay for taking on extra duties such as team lead, curriculum lead, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: how to measure merit, isn't that a question in every job? I'm sure the principals know who works hard and is good at their job and who doesn't/isn't

I don't know. Most teachers at my school work hard. I can't say anybody doesn't do their job. How do you measure "works hard"? What makes a teacher better than another?

The same fallible ways you measure merit in other positions.

There are obvious ways you can point out when someone isn't being effective - doesn't show up on time, leaves early, doesn't call in in a timely manner, has a bad attitude, doesn't work well with peers, generates complaints. Some of those are things partially outside of a person's control. Many of us have worked with people who may have found us challenging because of particularly work styles, and sometimes those relationships go bad instead of being just another way of learning to deal with people. But most of them are within our power to partially influence.

There are obvious ways you can point out when someone is being effective - produces results beyond what is expected in their position, establishes relationships or policies or standards that help the environment, mentors effectively and works well with colleagues as well as subordinates and superiors. Some of those things are partially outside a persons control, but most of them are within our power to partially influence.

It is a challenging effort in every profession.

[Anonymous]

FCPS tried a merit pay a few years ago. It involved lots of paperwork by the teacher and, from what I could tell, had nothing to do with who were the best teachers. In fact, DS had one of the teachers who had done this, and I thought she was average --at best. She was very afraid of the principal. Long story: DS was inappropriately placed--the teacher told me this, but she was afraid to tell the principal and have him moved. I did not push as I probably should have. Nice gal--and nice to the kids, but couldn't stand up for what was right.

[Anonymous]

Read the crazy push back the teacher gets in this thread from a few weeks ago:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/582055.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS tried a merit pay a few years ago. It involved lots of paperwork by the teacher and, from what I could tell, had nothing to do with who were the best teachers. In fact, DS had one of the teachers who had done this, and I thought she was average --at best. She was very afraid of the principal. Long story: DS was inappropriately placed--the teacher told me this, but she was afraid to tell the principal and have him moved. I did not push as I probably should have. Nice gal--and nice to the kids, but couldn't stand up for what was right.

A few years ago? It must have been at least 25 years ago. I don't want it, but we haven't had it since I've been with FCPS.