Teacher shortage issue demands legislative review

Subhead

‘Storm is coming’

Image
  • ANR
    ANR
Body

A workforce shortage issue amplified in recent years by the pandemic is having a real and sometimes dramatic impact on our community, state and nation, perhaps nowhere more than in our public schools.
Last week’s three-part ANR report sharing local school district input on the growing teacher shortage issue was enlightening, if not a bit scary. Superintendents representing the Aurora, Hampton and Giltner school districts all participated in our report, saying that Hamilton County schools have been able to handle the challenge, so far, though “a storm is coming,” and may in fact already be here.
The good news, all three agreed, is that the quality reputation of local schools and communities is a huge plus, which any employer will tell you makes a big difference when it comes to the competitive recruitment game. Families and businesses support our local schools in so many ways, creating a culture where teachers and administrators, in general, feel appreciated. That support, tradition and reputation for helping teachers impact young lives is invaluable, echoing the very reasons many teachers likely chose the profession.
Administrators shared last week that the harsh reality, however, is that there is a shrinking pool of applicants available now in the education field, while the pipeline of young teachers in training continues to shrink as well. 
That’s a red flag that can be blamed only in part on the pandemic. Other factors, according to a Nebraska Department of Education survey, include low pay relative to other jobs, the perception that teaching has become an undesirable career, student behavior issues, political pressures and stresses of the pandemic. I would add to that list the growing set of expectations placed on teachers that have nothing whatsoever to do with reading, writing and arithmetic, but instead are linked to life lessons and support structures traditionally provided at home. Again, family support is arguably better here than it is in other parts of the state and nation, but the expectations placed on our teachers have clearly grown.
Nebraska lawmakers have begun weighing in on this issue, with several proposals on the docket this year to address the teacher shortage dilemma. One proposal included inviting and encouraging military veterans to join the teaching ranks, which sounds good in concept, but leaves the question of ability to teach specific content unanswered. As Aurora Supt. Jody Phillips noted, knee-jerk reaction legislation is not going to help solve what is obviously a long-term problem.
Hampton Supt. Holly Herzberg shared a very specific example of how lawmakers could help, noting limitations of a temporary, alternative certification process. A new member of the Hawk staff passed the required competency exams for special education and has a four-year degree, giving him the green light to fill that open position for two years. And yet, he is being required to go back to school for two more years to earn another degree, all while teaching and coaching full-time as well, though he has already proven his ability to handle the job. At a time when teaching candidates are increasingly hard to come by, that doesn’t make sense. 
This is just one example of requirements that could be changed, and there are no doubt others that teachers and administrators are more than willing to share. It’s important not to lower the bar of expectations for those shaping our next generation of leaders and workers, but at the same time every effort should be made to make it easier for those who want to teach to have that opportunity.
Kurt Johnson