Teacher shortages continue across America

 Teacher shortages continue across America 

By Jackson Benigni

Skyhawk View Staff Reporter 

School districts in the United States continue to lose teachers for numerous reasons, hurting students' educational needs and the morale of educators. 

An ongoing national problem for many years grew during the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 and ended in 2022.

In the last two years, Cardona has visited governors and superintendents in 45 states to talk about shortages and different solutions. 

“Whether I was in California, Texas, or Maine the shortages didn’t change. Each state is struggling with the lack of teachers in their school districts,” said Cardona. He started his career in education more than 20 years ago as a teacher in his hometown Meriden, Connecticut. He graduated from Central Connecticut University and a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut. In 2021 on March 2nd, he was appointed to become the secretary of education. 

In 2022 a recent study done at Merrimack College, “Winston School of Education and Social Policy '' asked what teachers would advise their younger selves if they did it over. 

 “Survey shows that more than half of current teachers would advise their younger selves not to pursue the profession, and more than a third of teachers say they are likely to leave the profession in the next two years”

Cardona said the United States lost about 700,000 education jobs during the pandemic. Some teachers left the field because they were frustrated by teaching remotely and other challenges. 

Schools have also been challenged to hire new teachers and provide competitive salaries due to COVID. Funds that could be used for salaries were now having to go to providing materials such as computers and curriculum to help close the gap from the pandemic.

Cardona also said the pandemic chaos and remote learning left students behind in their education. 

Lauren Baker, a sophomore high school student, saw the impact that COVID had on her.  She expressed how the lack of personal contact with her peers and teachers took a toll on her and made it difficult to return to school during her senior year. 

She said, “When it was all over and I returned to school my senior year I realized that it had taken a toll not just on my academic level but also my mental illness and how I feel so out of sorts.”

Before Covid Lauren also expressed she was one of the top ones in her class and when she returned she did not feel she had grown as a learner and she was still at a sophomore level 

“My senior year I felt so out of place in my classes because I felt I didn’t grow as a learner over the past year and a half and it took a toll and made my senior year very difficult on me.”

Teachers also suffered from mental health issues from the stress of the pandemic and have felt underappreciated for years, Cardona said. 

The survey said, “Nearly 42% of teachers say that their mental health and wellness is having a negative impact on their work.”

Cardona said even before the pandemic, teachers' pay was not where it needed to be for the amount of time and effort they put in. 

He also said, “ Teachers earn 24% lower salaries than people with the same degree.” 

Low pay and long hours mean burnout for teachers in the profession and lead potential recruits to look for other careers. 

“In 2021, teacher morale it what appeared to be an all-time low, with 12 percent of Merrimack College Survey respondents saying they were satisfied with their jobs,” the Merrimack Survey said. 

Merrimack Survey even said, “In 2021, teacher morale hit what appeared to be an all-time low, with 12 percent of survey respondents saying they were very satisfied with their jobs.”

Cardona said, teachers feel schools and administrators don’t have their backs. For example, he said that school administration frequently sides with parents and students when problems arise. 

Cardona said a lack of respect is one of the underlying causes of the shortages. 

Also said, “ Teachers feel that school isn’t behind them when there are problems and feel their voices aren’t heard when it comes to parent and student issues.”

Cardona and his team have come up with the “ABC of Teaching” which they believe will help fix the teacher shortage problem. Keep teachers teaching and inspire more to become them. 

A stand for the “Agency of Teachers” is treating teachers like professionals by trusting them, and working with them. 

B stands for “Better working conditions” to make sure teachers have the tools and materials needed such as new desks, AC Units, and updated buildings.

C stands for “Competitive salary” to ensure governors propose and pass bills to increase pay for teachers. Cardona even stressed how this year 29 states have increased payment to teachers this coming year than what it was last year. 

Cardona also said schools should promote teaching as a career path, beginning in middle school. They should promote programs such as allowing students to look at or oversee teachers and see what they do daily so they can get a sense of what teachers do and appreciate their qualities. 

Cardona said the United States has been moving in the right direction over the last six months and some states are close to having the full capacity of teachers. He said there is still a long way to go but he hopes some of the changes will encourage teachers to stay and attract new people to the field. 

“ Teaching is a gift like no other and it’s not in everyone, but those people who have that gift can change people’s lives forever, so don’t be afraid to look in the education world,” he said. 

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