Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Is there a teacher in the room?

For years now, we have heard about an increasing shortage of nurses.
The reasons are varied; an aging workforce that delayed retirement due to a downturn in the economy is now able to retire or decrease hours as a spouse returns to work, a de-professionalism of nursing by management, other opportunities for students entering college, increased risk of injury or assault on the job, and increased opportunities outside of nursing for those already in the field.
At least nurses retain positive feedback from the public who still value them and hold them in esteem, even as their own management does not and often actively works against them and their patients.

Now we face a growing shortage of teachers, just as the school year begins.
The reasons are many, but some of them are the same as for nurses.
There are attempts to de-professionalize the profession, violence and the risk of injury is on the increase and the improved economy has given both those in the field and those entering college other options.
Unlike nurses, the public perception is less positive of teachers, driven largely by economic interests of people who would like to blame teachers for everything under the sun in an effort to privatize education and profit from it.  Statements by presidential candidates that teacher unions need "a punch in the face" only serve to reinforce this.
In addition, the recession caused the layoff of many teachers who have since moved to other professions and legislation in some states has made collective bargaining illegal and job security nonexistent.
What other profession is asked to work without a contract?
High stakes testing and over testing has eroded the ability to find time to teach, the reason teachers enter the field.

One could say that teachers are lucky.
The skills it takes to motivate and teach students today and to deal with all the socio-economic issues they come with make teachers employable in so many other fields.


Like nurses who also possess transferable skills, teachers teach.
They want to teach.
It comes from deep within.
And our country needs them to teach.

It is time to treat teachers as the dedicated professionals they are and with the respect they deserve.

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