Anonymous wrote:I’m aware that this is a touchy subject. I know there’s also debate over whether teachers should be getting subject matter degrees then specializing in education in a master’s program, versus majoring in education as an undergraduate. My opinion is that that would need to take into account credential inflation and that students would need to pay more to become teachers than they previously needed to. Currently, universities that were historically and continue to ones that produce teachers have low average SAT scores, graduation rates and other factors.
Anonymous wrote:I’m aware that this is a touchy subject. I know there’s also debate over whether teachers should be getting subject matter degrees then specializing in education in a master’s program, versus majoring in education as an undergraduate. My opinion is that that would need to take into account credential inflation and that students would need to pay more to become teachers than they previously needed to. Currently, universities that were historically and continue to ones that produce teachers have low average SAT scores, graduation rates and other factors.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In my view, “majoring in elementary education” has to become a more valid degree. Now it’s too often a way to skate through college for young women who are there to have a good time. This does not appeal generally to the brightest students.
Besides the pay, the college experience/return on investment has to be so much better than it is.
Let's pretend you are a normal, UMC DC family with a high stat child. If they have their heart set on being an elementary school teacher. Which college would make the most sense to get their degree - Salisbury State or an elite SLAC/Ivy?
Unless your family is super wealthy, it doesn't make sense to pay for an expensive private school for a degree in elementary education so a school like Salisbury it is.
But your child is a high stat child. Do you think Salisbury college will have the same amount of high stats kids? Would your kid want to go to such a school when she most likely could have gotten into a much better school? The young girls who chose these Elementary Ed degrees at places like Salisbury aren't typically high flyers. Is that where high stat kids really want to go to college?
If you want to attract high stat/top students to go into teaching, their elementary education degree needs to be subsidized. It doesn't make sense to pay nearly $80,000 a year for a job that offers so little in return. Top students don't want to "lower" themselves by going to places like Salisbury for college.
Aside from the financial aspect, teaching isn't a flexible job. Maybe the top students don't want to enter a job that isn't flexible. They see their parents having flexibility and freedom with working from home. They see their parents can easily leave work in the middle of the day to go to a dr.'s appt/pick their kid up from school. Teacher's schedules are so much more regimented. Do top students want that for themselves?
Anonymous wrote:I posted previously stating basically that schools would have to pay more to attract top students into teaching. But there's wishful dreaming and then there's reality. We will NEVER pay teachers much more than what they make now. It will never happen. Teachers will never get more support with challenging kids. When it comes down to it, no one really cares. So why bother even thinking about it?
Anonymous wrote:Universities and colleges need to step up their own programs for educating teachers and design degree programs that will help create teachers that are capable of teaching AND managing a classroom.
All teachers should take multiple classes on teach students with the most widely diagnosed learning disabilities, emotional disabilities and physical disabilities. In other words, "special education" as a specialization should become way more specialized and the general course should be shifted to all teachers.
Improve teacher reading and writing instruction courses.
Require a course in project management and a course in professional communication strategies.
Create student teaching opportunities far earlier and far more often.
Require several course with student teaching of class room behavior management techniques.
Then once they do all that and up the profile of their own programs, make teaching a direct admit program similar to Nursing.
States need to be more proactive in their own requirements for teaching licensure. I think the PP suggesting an internship has the right idea. Or some kind of paid supervised pathway to full licensure. And supervised meaning, they are with another teacher in the classroom full time for at least a year.
Anonymous wrote:In my view, “majoring in elementary education” has to become a more valid degree. Now it’s too often a way to skate through college for young women who are there to have a good time. This does not appeal generally to the brightest students.