It is comforting to know that there are folks at the policy level in our national government who are aware of the need for a massive overhaul of our educational system; and that huge numbers of our teaching work force is close to retirement (over 50% in the next few years) and a large percent of new teachers leave in five years or less.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hello From SC
I am sitting in the opening Keynote session and the topic is our education system in the US and how the model is not working. As I type this, the discussion is about how many teachers are leaving the profession and how little support teachers actually get. The numbers leaving, due to general attrition versus retirees are 3-1. That is scary but we all know why. Schools and the job market is changing but teacher preparation/professional development is not. I could go on but will stop here because you all know this better than I do!
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I pray that the committment to education doesn't die because it is hard. We need people of integrity to stay the course and make a difference in their own little realm. I'm really concerned about who will be taking care of the world when I'm placed in a nursing home someplace. It's real important to me that I do my part to educate those in my path to the best of my ability.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Paula. Previously, while working at a part-time job with many college students, many of them are changing their minds about going into teaching. They have said with the cost of college and the amount of a teacher's income, they would be unable to support themselves and pay back their college loans. Many of them would be great educators. I believe that this is one reason that teachers are leaving the field. I also believe that it is the frustration with and lack of support of parents. We work very hard all year long, not just in the school year, to prepare for our students and spend a good portion of our own money. When the school year rolls around, some people feel like their efforts go unnoticed, except for when they may make a mistake or a students gets into trouble, then we are to blame. It is hard to be the teacher, mother, nurse, counselor, father, aunt, and friend at the same time.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments, ditto!
ReplyDeleteI am only posting a comment so that you know I was able to set up a blogging account. It has made me a nervous wreck. It's not for me.
ReplyDeleteGinny