Baby Boomer Teachers Retiring
Study Predicts Major Problem by 2015
Cushion in the Past
For generations, the teaching profession has enjoyed a surplus of teachers. The predominant female choices for careers were nurse, teacher, secretary or stay-at-home mom. Because these professions were female-dominated, the salaries were low and stayed low. The mindset was that the husband was the bread winner in the family and the woman's income was "supplemental." However, today’s women are remaining single longer and have many more choices. Teaching is no longer one of the major careers. The "teacher" cushion is getting thinner every year.
Crises Looming
The United States has more than 3 million public school teachers and seventy-five percent of them are women. Hundreds of thousands will be leaving the profession in the next few years as the baby boomer generation enters retirement. Harvard’s economist at the Graduate School of Education, Richard J. Murnane, conducted a study on the teaching workforce of the future. The results of that study were not promising. "It’s not that you don’t have some terrifically talented people going into teaching. You do. The issue is that you don’t have enough. And many are the most likely to leave teaching, because they have lots of other opportunities," says Murnane. [Michael Chandler, Washington Post, washingtonpost.com, June 24, 2007]
Supply And Demand
Education is locked into salary schedules and does not have the open market flexibility of other businesses. In the free market, when there is a shortage—salaries go up. Because of the increase, that profession becomes more interesting to individuals. The salary schedules in schools do not allow the free market to work. A shortage in the nursing profession raised salaries nation-wide. Schools may need to do the same.
The Harvard study states that the numbers of women entering teaching has declined substantially since the 1960s when the baby boomers were in college. In addition, the academic success of those entering teaching has dropped, as well. Fewer honor students are entering the profession and teachers with lower academics are more likely to teach in high-risk schools.
Maryland Study
A 2004 study by the University of Maryland economists states that while the number of women getting college degrees has tripled since 1964, the number entering education has dropped from 50 percent to 15 percent. The Maryland study also states that the baby boomers were entering the teaching profession with 20 percent in the top 10 percent of their graduating class. In 2000 only 10 percent fall in the top 10 percent. To tighten the vise a little tighter, No Child Left Behind is demanding better qualified teachers. [Michael Chandler, Washington Post, washingtonpost.com, June 24, 2007]
Math and Science
It is estimated that the US will have a shortage of 280,000 math and science teachers by 2015. In order to fill these position salaries will need to be raised. The mindset of teaching being a supplemental income will need to disappear. Teaching will need to stand on its own as a profession like other careers: economist, systems analyst and business.
Teachers Leaving Early
The number of teachers leaving the profession after just three years is about one-third. After five years, up to fifty percent leave. The turnover costs are skyrocketing and schools must address this problem quickly.
"There isn't a shortage of teachers in this country; there's a shortage of people who are willing to work for too little salary and in poor working conditions," says Linda Darling-Hammond, professor at Stanford University's School of Education. [Laura Devaney, eschoolnews.org, June 25, 2007] Education must undergo a major shake up in salaries, support, conditions, and recruitment by 2015 or schools as we know them will be in "code red."
Related articles: Future Look of Education and Paradigm Shift in Learning
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
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