JC Bowman, Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, recently posted an editorial entitled Building a Better Pipeline: New Teacher Corps. The focus was on the teacher shortage happening in Tennessee, and the crucial need to address the issue. I have the greatest respect for Director Bowman and agree with him that we Tennesseans are facing a human capital challenge, but Tennessee is not alone. Every state in the Union is struggling to recruit and retain teachers.
Tennessee State and local leadership recognizes the teacher shortage and is pragmatically seeking solutions. Federal government TEACHER grant programs, Tennessee Promise, Grow Your Own, and the creation of a New Teacher Corps can provide funds and pathways to becoming a teacher. But the challenge is motivating individuals to choose to become teachers in the first place.
Retaining Teachers
The challenge of retaining teachers, and the teacher shortage has been a growing problem that has accelerated as an aftershock of the COVID pandemic. Education Week, April 27, 2022, shared that “survey data paints a picture of a disillusioned, exhausted workforce that feels burdened by a constantly growing workload – and disrespected by the general public.”
Teachers are the difference!
Director Bowman is correct in stating “When it comes to educating a child, nearly everything is contingent on the quality of the teacher in the classroom. Teachers make a difference when it comes to the academic performance of students.” The fact of the matter is that teachers are being asked to do more than just teach academics.
Education Week shares that “As a teacher, you’re more than just a teacher. We’re parents, friends, we’re counselors... And sometimes it’s at the detriment of our own mental health and our own stress.” For retaining teachers, the question becomes how are veteran and “new to the profession educators” supported by their districts? For recruiting new teachers, are University teacher preparation programs preparing future educators for these realities?
I have the greatest reverence and respect for those who choose to become teachers, but in today’s dynamic environment, I understand why many are choosing to leave or make a different career choice.
Public Education is not a people problem, it is a system problem.
Tennessee’s 141 public school districts all face the same challenge, recruiting and retaining teachers. The challenge prospective teacher candidates face may not be the pathway to becoming a teacher, but the reality of working in a school or school district, designed for the 20th century, tasked to educate and prepare students for the 21st century. The disconnect is the system, not the people.
New Thinking
Author Danial Pink, in his book Drive (2009), shares that “while carrots and sticks worked in the twentieth century, that’s the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges.” Author Simon Sinek in his book Start With Why (2009) identifies that motivation is linked to purpose which is defined by the “Why.” He goes on to state that most companies and organizations can state “WHAT” they do, “HOW” they do it, but few can truly articulate “WHY” they do it. Mr. Sinek writes “most organizations or people think, act, or communicate from the outside in, from WHAT to WHY. And for good reason -they go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest thing. We say WHAT we do, we sometimes say HOW we do it, but rarely say WHY we do WHAT we do.”
“Pump the Breaks”
In Tennessee, as well as across the country, there’s lots of discussion on “WHAT” K-12 Public Education is. There is a plethora of scientific research and practice on “HOW” to teach young people, but the “WHY” of public education in Tennessee, and across the country, is indeed fuzzy.
Yes, it is important to address the teacher shortage, but it is equally important to go deeper and discern WHY this is happening. What are the contributing factors? Is the focus for teachers to be academics? Is it to be a pseudo parent? A counselor? And if it is to be a counselor, what kind of counselor? One that addresses Social Emotional and mental health or be a college recruiter or career counselor.
In Tennessee, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education SCORE is doing impressive work and is a valuable resource for collecting data to support their desired outcomes that:
All students receive an excellent public K-12 education. (with success defined as outcomes on statewide assessments and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test scores.)
All students earn a credential or postsecondary degree.
All students are prepared for a career that enables economic independence.
Across all goals, all students have equitable opportunities for success.
Test scores, workplace credentials, college degrees, economic success, with equitable opportunity seem more like “WHAT” public education in Tennessee is, not necessarily “WHY”. There seems to be something missing.
What do other data points tell us? How does a 12.2% divorce rate, one out of six Tennesseans living below the poverty rate with 18.8% of children in poverty impact child development and academic achievement? With 13% of Tennessee children on Special Education Individual Education Plans (IEPs), 11.3 % high school dropout rate, with a rise in bullying and school violence, it appears student needs go deeper. How does this impact the “WHY”?
Higher teacher compensation and working conditions is but part of the equation. Consensus defining an inspiring, real “WHY” for public education needs to happen first. It is the foundation to build out from. Without a clear “WHY” public education becomes a wasted experience of superficial learning, memorizing meaningless knowledge.
Public Education in the United States is not a people problem, it is a system problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment