Listen to Our Teachers
There is a crisis within the American education system. It has been looming for decades, quietly eroding the quality of life for our families. It threatens the development of our youth and the global competitiveness of our country: a nationwide teacher shortage.
According to a recent Washington Post article about the nationwide teacher shortage, the teacher shortage in America has hit crisis levels, and school officials everywhere are scrambling to ensure that, as students return to classrooms, someone will be there to educate them. Interestingly, while districts are reporting all-time lows in qualified teachers to fill open positions, no national database is tracking the issue. As a result, the cries for help from states and school districts about the need for teachers are becoming much more vocal.
Why are America’s schools so short-staffed? Experts point to a confluence of factors, including pandemic-induced teacher exhaustion, low pay and some educators’ sense that politicians and parents — and sometimes their own school board members — have little respect for their profession. An escalating educational culture war has seen many districts and states pass policies and laws restricting what teachers can say about U.S. history, race, racism, gender, sexual orientation and LGBTQ issues. We witnessed it in Indiana as legislators fought to introduce House Bill 1134 and Senate Bill 167, which would have required schools to create parent-led curriculum review committees and post their learning material online to disincentive the teaching of “divisive concepts.” Thankfully, these bills never made it out of committee. But what if they had?
Teaching was once looked upon as a noble profession. Teachers were respected in their communities and were considered leaders. Their influence on our children often rivaled that of a parent. However, the tide has shifted over time, and while teacher responsibilities have increased, the respect for the profession has decreased, creating an unprecedented paradigm shift with rippling effects.
The teacher shortage is not due to underqualified educators, but rather due to the fact that there are not enough qualified candidates to go around. It is time for us to come together as a city, state and nation to address why students who could become teachers – and even want to become teachers – are choosing not to pursue that career path. We must discover how to retain the educators currently in our classrooms. We should not spin our wheels focusing on the shortage but instead become innovative and reshape our recruitment and retention strategies.
It is World Teachers' Day, and we at Herd Strategies are honoring teachers domestically and abroad. Teachers have impacted all our lives in ways beyond measure. Remember, if you can read this: thank a teacher.