Written by Elly Herrick, Staff Writer
America’s teacher shortage is real and growing. In subjects such as math and science, schools are relying on less qualified teachers in order to ll the growing number of vacancies.
Schools around the country are having trouble attracting and keeping teachers. In 2012, America faced a shortage of about 20,000 educators. Today that number is more than 110,000. If this trend continues, who will teach future generations?
This needs to be fixed now. Mathematicians get paid about $46,000 to $116,000 annually and work with professionals. Teachers work with kids and get paid on average $54,000 annually, with a starting salary of about $39,000 a year. The difference in pay and work environment is considerable.
Teachers get paid based on a system of how long they have worked, how many education credits they have, and what degrees they have (i.e bachelor’s or master’s).
Let’s say incoming teacher Sally has a master’s degree and lots of additional education credits. She may get paid more than Billy, who has four years of teaching experience but only a bachelor’s degree.
The way teachers get paid is unfair because of its concept of the quantity of how long they’ve worked instead of the quality. It is understandable that there are hundreds of teachers to keep track of and there has to be a set system, but many teachers say that pay is a huge reason why they leave the job.
Teachers should get paid on the quality of their work, not the quantity. In most jobs, people are given raises based upon how they work and how well they bene t the company rather than being paid based on how long they have worked. Teachers should be separated by different subjects and more pay should be given to the most productive and highest grade classes in each department.
Let’s say there are two geometry teachers. Teacher X has a class grade average of C+ and surveys by students and teaching assistants say that he’s rude and unhelpful when it comes to homework. Teacher Y report has a class average of B-, and while her tests are hard, she challenges the students because she makes sure the required topics are understood.
In this case, Teacher Y would get paid a little more since her grade average is higher and her reviews are good. Degrees and credits would also be included in pay.
Many teachers argue that besides pay, a lack of time to work on lesson planning and grading is a huge reason why they quit or why many teachers are overstressed. Teachers work teaching 25 to 35 students in each class period throughout the day, and they need time to prep for the next day’s classes. This prep time is vital so teachers can give their students quality feedback on assignments. Hardworking teachers only have so much time in the day to devote to their students. The mountains of work and lesson plans are hard to balance which causes burnout and chronic stress.
Burnout leaves teachers completely drained and causes severe strain on mental and physical health. A 2019 survey directed by James Anthony and done by 9,053 teachers showed that 46 percent of teachers work more than 50 hours a week; 57 percent don’t have time for themselves; and 58 percent feel tired all the time. About 68 percent of teachers find it hard to concentrate.
Teachers are a very important feature in the community so it’s imperative to give them enough time to do quality work. The more time teachers are given to heal from burnout, the better teaching they can offer to students.
Teaching is the future and with the plummeting number of education majors, it doesn’t take a 4.0 GPA to know that this is leading to nothing good.