As the new school year rushes toward us, many are concerned whether there will be enough teachers in classrooms to instruct and care for our children.
A 2021 Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found the number of people quitting work in the education sector has grown faster than in any other industry. The BLS data, as noted by a Money report, shows that “182,000 people quit their jobs in public education in February of this year, up from 138,000 the same month in 2021.”
The teacher shortage is continuing, and teachers still in the classroom are feeling unhappy and unappreciated. According to The Tennessean, teacher resignations and retirements in Nashville are up by 15 percent. The numbers show that nearly 550 teachers resigned just last year — up from 464 resignations or terminations the year before. Metro is seeking to fill 250 teaching vacancies before classes start on Aug. 10. As National Education Association President Becky Pringle told Money, “After persevering through the hardest school years in memory, America’s educators are exhausted and increasingly burned out.” Fifty-five percent of educators have said they’ll likely leave the industry sooner than they planned.
So why are educators leaving the industry?
No single reason is carved into stone. There are numerous explanations for why teachers are finding their calling fading to a distant whisper. In recent years, teachers have finally begun receiving raises and cost-of-living increases. But low pay has not been the sole culprit in driving teachers from the classroom. J.C. Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, tells The Tennessean: “Educators do not feel welcome in their own careers. They do not feel like they are being listened to by parents or policymakers. They do not feel respected. It is a morale issue.” Bowman notes that heavy workload, poor salaries and pointless legislation have also influenced teachers’ decisions to leave.
And who can blame these teachers?
They’ve come through the past two years of COVID-19 having to deal with bipartisan arguments over how best to care for children in the classroom. There have been threats of violence over whether children should wear masks, there have been changes in the culture surrounding teaching — what some have called “education culture wars” — and yes, there have been many school shootings that have taken the lives of students and teachers alike. Further, teachers now have to prepare their students to react or respond to such violence.
Now it seems to be a teacher you need body armor and a great capacity for dealing with frustration over being pushed and pulled when it comes to what you’re allowed to teach.
According to Tennessee’s Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, on average, the state has been short by about 2,000 teachers for the past several school years. In working to fill the gap — at least to some extent — Tennessee has partnered with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor to create teacher apprenticeship programs, which will allow future teachers to get real experience in the classroom while they are earning their degrees.
Further, Metro does have a backup plan should the county’s many teaching vacancies not be filled prior to the school year. Director of talent acquisition for Metro Nashville Public Schools Amber Tyus recently told WPLN that there are “permanent substitutes, school administrators, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, or deans of education” who are “very capable of stepping into the classroom and filling in without a teacher being present.”
As a community, let’s remind every teacher we know that we appreciate all they do. Let’s remember to thank them for their service, just as we would for veterans. Remind them that we sincerely appreciate their abilities, the time and skills they bring to the table to educate our children, and most of all, the dedication they have caring for our children and guiding them through their school years.
Teachers, my hat is off to you!
Bill Freeman
Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and Home Page Media Group in Williamson County.
