Teacher shortage needs to be addressed
School districts nationwide are experiencing a teacher shortage and Minnesota is no exception to this dilemma.
The concern is so great, the Department of Children, Families and Learning commissioned a study by the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development to document the thoughts of those in the educational field regarding the supply of teachers and retention issues. Its findings in the 1999 study were disturbing.
Part of the study involved a focus group composed of more than 50 educational leaders, teachers and policymakers in Minnesota.
The group revealed school districts throughout the state -- both urban and rural -- are having a tough time attracting teachers highly qualified to fill vacancies.
Finding good candidates was reported to be especially difficult in the areas of mathematics, science and technology at the secondary level and in special education and English as a second language at all levels. Retaining teachers newly hired to these positions also is a problem, the group reported.
In addition, as in the job market across the board, the number of well-qualified teachers showing up in the applicant pool is lower in many teaching positions compared to just a few years ago, the group said.
Along with detailing the problem, the focus group tried to come up with some answers.
Among the remedies suggested were financial incentives to individual teachers and districts in teaching fields such as science and math where vacancies are hard to fill; the creation of mentoring programs to help keep new teachers in their chosen profession; and flexibility in dealing with teacher shortages.
The latter, the group suggested, could include such innovative ideas as using retired teachers or hiring community experts. With the business community becoming increasingly concerned with the educational system and the students we produce, they would likely jump at the chance to be of service -- or they should.
Teachers salaries have been a point of contention with some members of the public in recent years. For instance, District 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan) agreed to an increase in salaries and benefits for teachers regardless of the outcome of a November levy referendum.
The two-year contract included an 8.5 percent increase in salary schedule. District officials said the pay hike was needed to achieve parity with other districts and to attract teachers in a tight job market.
With the failure of the referendum, the district has been forced to cut millions from its budget.
Some say it was arrogant of the district to agree to the increase without the passage of the referendum already secured. But in today's job market, it's getting increasingly difficult to hang on to quality employees -- in any field -- when others are trying to lure them away with better offers. Everyone's got to be competitive in salary and benefits in order to keep good employees from going to "greener pastures." No one can fault anyone for moving on to a job that makes them and their families more financially comfortable.
A good point is made, though, by those who believe the way our teachers are paid is outdated.
Teachers are basically paid on a scale that measures years of service and degrees of education. While both should be factors in considering raises, other issues that should be factored in are the teacher's effect in the classroom and the extra effort he/she puts in. The current system rewards adequate and outstanding teachers on the same scale, which just doesn't make sense.
Christine Jax, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, agrees that administrators and teachers need to be held more accountable for classroom performance. The teaching profession could be elevated by performance reviews by peers, research by teacher specialists of best teaching practices, and formation of a professional association to probe and accredit teachers colleges, Jax said in a stop last November in Burnsville.
"We have to make sure our teachers are the best and the brightest, and that once they get there, they're supported," she said.
Local districts have taken it upon themselves to be creative in finding quality teachers.
District 192 (Farmington) held a job fair last spring to bring candidates to the district for tours and interviews. The job fair was the first of its kind in a school district in the tri-state area.
"If we are going to find quality people, we have to be proactive," said District 192 Superintendent Bob Endersbe.
The reasons Farmington chose to hold the job fair will sound familiar to many suburban school districts. Though it's a growing district, Farmington loses 10 to 15 teachers a year through retirement, resignations and leaves of absence.
The University of Minnesota study found student enrollment growth and policies requiring class-size reductions to be issues added to this list.
The teacher shortage is a problem that is not going to go away soon. According to the University of Minnesota study, experts forecast as many as 2 million openings for teachers nationwide. We need to act now to ensure students not only have a teacher in their classroom, but that they have highly qualified, motivated instructors who can help prepare them for the challenges they will face in the future.
