Prairie View Elementary School doesn’t usually have trouble attracting new teachers. It’s one of the more affluent schools in rural Enid, Oklahoma, housed in the district’s newest building, which looks out on to wheat fields.
“When I started having trouble hiring teachers — I can only imagine what the other principals are doing,” said Prairie View’s principal, Clark Koepping.
Schools nationwide are reporting teacher shortages that go beyond the chronic struggle to fill positions at low-income schools and in subjects such as science and special education. Oklahoma, where education funding has been slashed, may be the hardest hit state.
Like many of her counterparts, Republican Gov. Mary Fallin has focused on one solution: giving teachers a raise. Her latest budget proposal finds money for teacher pay increases despite declining revenue and a projected $1.3 billion deficit for fiscal 2017.
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7 comments:
PARENTING, it all starts in their home.
Get rid of common core and get back to basics
While a larger paycheck is desirable for all of us, the real reason teachers leave their jobs in droves is due to the very real fact that there is a large segment of our population that does not parent their children. This leaves teachers to deal with truly abhorrent behavior with no solutions. Locally, there are literally droves of children who can not identify basic words, count to 10 (much less have any practice in reading) or identify basic shapes upon entry to Kindergarten. Without these foundational skills, and coupled with ridiculous behavior, it should come as no surprise that teachers leave within the first 5 years on the job. Increasing the paycheck certainly seems like a solution, but it is not one that solves any problems that come into schools from homes, and stress taxpayers. A better investment would be made in mandatory drug and alcohol screening for individuals on any form of state assistance along with mandatory parenting classes PRIOR to children starting school - This would not solve all off the problems, but it would be at least a start - alas, I fear this falls on deaf ears.
Regards,
Paladin
Pray for a shortage. Public education is indoctrination.
Get your children out of there!
I totally agree with Paladin. The earliest childhood education starts in the home.
Amen Paladin!!! It's sad to say but there has to be some sort of accountability held to these people. These kids are basically raising themselves once they leave school grounds. We can either step in at the early levels or we can just continue to flood the courts and jails with the aftermath
Paladin is correct as far as he goes.
Once children enter public school, for all intents, they now enter the 'No Meaningful Consequences Zone.' Social promotion, free meals, almost takes an act of Congress for suspensions, etc, etc.
Students are smart enough to use their phones and smart enough to see that teachers and administrators have their hands tied. They do as they wish because state and federal policies jammed down the throat of local districts permit and require the No Meaningful Consequences approach.
Sad; true.
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