Wow! Problems in education (hiring division) already starting

[Lifelong Protester]

I am an administrator in a small Western WI district, as some of you know, and we share some specialist teachers with neighboring districts (good plan, keep the kids central to their hometown, then have the teachers move between district; better than consolidation IMHO).

Anyhoo, the neighboring district has an elementary teacher job open. They received TEN applicants. 10. Last time I hired an elem teacher (2 years ago) I had over 100 applicants. Maybe 150.

It used to be that an administrator would groan when they had to post an elementary teacher job, ONLY because we'd be going through hundreds of apps. Not anymore.

I thought it would take longer for the pool to 'dry up'. But I don't think so now. We are having to hire a couple of shared teachers, and all positions are bringing in scant applications.


Wow.

[MichiganVote]

1. In the Michigan Muskegon Heights former public school system...

which is now entirely a brand spanking new Charter run by the shit for brains out fit--Mosaica, there will be cameras in every classroom to "make sure" that appropriate instruction is being conducted.

How would you like to have a camera trained on you all day? Pathetic.

The expense of becoming and maintaining life as an educator, the abuse that teachers take daily, the absolutely ridiculous levels of testing, rotten funding and so on and so forth...

Teaching-forget it. Congrat's to the near sighted public and politicians, for the small number of poor teachers, you've now run out the better and best. None of my educational colleagues feel that they want to remain in education. All are dispirited and fearful of their futures.

In Michigan, graduates are usually not even trying to stay in the state b/c the profession is treated with total disrespect and there is no guarantee of any salary structure, benefits or pension.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. I figured cameras will be next

in someone's dream of killing public education and killing teaching as a profession.
I cannot disagree with you, at all. I wrongly thought it would take longer to dry up the teaching applicant pool, but in no way do I find it surprising that people will not want to go into this field.

It is pathetic. And very depressing.

[MichiganVote]

4. I feel as though I am living in a time warp or something. People are lapping up all this BS

about the single most important determinant in their child's life-education. These torturous actions throughout the US to provide education on the cheap, weaken its structure in the name of progress and diminish the professionalism of this career choice for enthusiastic educators is pathetic. I normally do not slide into the Obama blame game but as they say, shit rolls downhill. First Bush, now Obama..politicians can't promise enough donors or voting blocks fast enough with one band aid after another.

So here we are, a wanna be but unified healthcare system for all Americans and an education system that now looks like a patchwork quilt made of Grandma's scraps. And I truly believe this is the end of integrated education in the US. Piece by piece we return to the gay 90's, as in 1890's for the rich.

Good luck. As things stand, this could be your last best hiring year.

[Lifelong Protester]

9. Education should be left alone by the politicians

truly, I feel, this is how we go into this mess. And each governor or president is promising stuff they know NOTHING ABOUT. They keep writing checks that NO inlcusive system like ours in the USA can cash.


My feeling, among many feelings, is that the politicians are trying to 'dumb down' the profession. As in, "Here's the test, here's the curriculum, don't deviate, just teach this (obviously in the district you mention, the teacher will be WATCHED to make sure this is done).

And whatever some politician has decided is a 'good education' will be what we get. Just as long as something complex can be distilled down to one (meaningless) number that the politicians can bleat about, good or bad.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. The cameras are also a way to train the children to accept the surveillance state.

[MichiganVote]

5. Some kids will cut up just to annoy the teacher or classmates

Parents who have a beef will demand to see the videos, meaning, no privacy for all students.

[midnight]

6. That is creepy... To make sure that instruction is being given correctly...

[ladym55]

7. Doesn't sound like the case in secondary ed jobs

My son has been trying for 18 months to break in as a Social Studies teacher with apps all over WI. He is up against LOTS of applications, and many have years more experience than he has.

He is looking at trying in NC or SC for awhile.

[Lifelong Protester]

8. I wish him luck

and hope that they are hiring. Social Studies at secondary is hard to break into, unless (unfortunately) you coach something. Seems that is the norm.

I am worried that districts are trying to go as 'on the cheap' as they can, so if your son has a masters' degree, he's going to be 'too expensive'. A wife or family for the family insurance plan, 'too expensive.' I am really worried about public education.

Good luck to your son. I am not aware of any SS jobs in my area or I would gladly steer you in that direction.

[ladym55]

11. Thanks for your kind words

Yep, he coaches, but it's tennis and swimming. He does coach pee-wee football, but apparently that isn't good enough to coach football at the high school level.

The good news is that he doesn't have an MA ... chose just to get certified and he's single.

We have our fingers crossed for him, and we are trying to support his efforts any way we can. I've seen some of his lesson/unit plans. He's good. (I taught on the college level for a long time.)

I worry about public education, too. The good news is that many talented young people are still choosing education, and some are actually connecting with positions.

[Viking12]

10. Similar situation in higher ed.

Even before Act 10, we had a hard time recruiting high quality candidates because of the low salaries comparative to surrounding states. Now, we post an opening for faculty position and receive 1/3 of the applications as compared to 5 years ago. Second-tier talent for the most part.