Why Not Teach?

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Public school teachers are so constrained right now by the common core standards and the tests that are developed to monitor what teachers are doing with them. If you're a creative, smart young person, I don't think this is the time to go into teaching unless an independent school would suit you. (Strauss)

Unfortunately, it is the children in school are suffering the consequences of the lack of teachers which ultimately affects their learning and performance on standardized tests. More importantly, the test scores in the math and science areas have declined far more than in the English area due to not enough qualified teachers in these specialized fields.

The urban schools have felt the effect of the teacher shortages along with the special education and bilingual programs. There is a lack of incentives for young adults to enter into these specialized fields and with the added pressure of standardized testing, it leads many to look for a different career choice. More mentoring programs need to be developed to make teaching a satisfying career choice like it once was. There is another area of concern which is driving potential teachers away from the field.

Violence in schools is on the rise and more assaults against teachers are growing even higher. With more violence occurring and lack of parental support in the classroom, many young adults have chosen not to enter into the teaching field. Many teachers have suffered from PTSD, increase stress levels, and fear after violent attacks from students have occurred. With more of this violence being reported by the media, it doesn’t help encourage young adults to want to enter into this field since they feel they are not protected. School safety policies need to be changed to include interdisciplinary approaches that partner with outside services for mental health and social welfare departments for additional resources. Also, schools need to implement practices to address prevention programs to help prevent violence in the school as well as addressing mental health challenges many students and families face. When a student’s home life is unstable, it makes it tough for the student to perform their best. Parents also depend on the teachers now to raise respectful students without the support of the parent. Due to all these additional responsibilities, the stigma of being a teacher is no longer an admired career choice for many young adults.

In conclusion, many reasons for the shortage of qualified teachers have been demonstrated. Many steps will need to be made to help lure more young adults to enter into the teaching profession. The government will need to make changes amounting to funding given to schools to assist in increasing the pay of teachers, to revisit the regulations surrounding testing and the evaluation process of our teachers, and to also begin more prevention programs in schools to stop any further violence against teachers and students. California will soon hit a crisis level with not enough qualified teachers to replace the teachers leaving the profession if changes do not happen soon. Teaching is a very rewarding career and one that is so vital to our future.

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Works Cited

Gullixson, Paul. "Will Teacher Shortage be an Ongoing Problem?" The Press DemocratAug 16 2015. ProQuest. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

Honawar, Vaishali. "Alternative Routes for Spec. Ed. Teachers Relieving Shortages Worsened by NCLB." Education Week 3 May 2006: 1. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

Melendez Salinas, Claudia. "California teacher shortage could get worse, report warns." San Jose Mercury News California [San Jose] 21 Jan. 2016: n. pag. A1 Print.

Strauss, Valerie. "The real reasons behind the U.S. teacher shortage." The Washington Post 24 Aug. 2015: n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.