Teacher Shortages

It’s no secret; we’ve had teacher shortages across the US for years now. Reportedly, nearly 9 in 10 public school districts struggled to hire new teachers at the beginning of this school year. It seems like the struggle is getting better, as there’s been a decrease in reported feelings of being understaffed by K-12 institutions, but teacher shortages are still an issue.

Why? I think there’s a few things at play here. For one, so much is required of teachers. I see it every day at my own work. Teacher burnout is real and so many suffer from it so often. More and more is being required of teachers, from meeting content delivery expectations to addressing behavior in their own classrooms, with little administrative support sometimes. To add to that, teachers aren’t paid nearly what they should be, especially to handle all the work they have to do. Teachers are undervalued and underpaid. Why would anyone want to stick around for any of that?

As a Fenton Schools Board member, I will advocate for adequate pay for teachers and positive working environments. I will advocate for fair and equitable contract negotiations and checking in on teachers to make sure they are receiving the support they need.

Reference:

Today, U. (2023, October 17). Teacher shortages continue to plague US: 86% of public schools struggle to hire educators. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/10/17/teacher-shortage-2023-us-schools-struggle-hiring/71208579007/