opinion

Abdul: The truth behind ‘teacher shortage’ misinformation

There’s a fresh debate in Indiana over a shortage of new teachers after the release of figures showing that the state has seen about an 18 percent drop in new certifications.

But while the unions and other supporters of the status quo would have you believe education reform is solely to blame, as with most things they have to say, that argument is ripe with misinformation.

If you do a little digging, you will find that a lot of factors are in play here.

Contrary to popular opinion, this is not an Indiana problem only. Across the country, school districts are facing teacher shortages. Some of this is due to the fact that a few years ago, districts laid off teachers as they faced serious budget shortfalls. As the economy recovered, and tax revenue returned somewhat to normal, money became available to hire, but potential education students continued to make decisions about what careers to pursue based on the reality of a few years ago.

We’re also seeing large numbers of baby boomers retire, including many teachers. That’s a recruitment and retention challenge driven by demographic reality — the boomers are getting old — not education reform.

Also, in Indiana, the tests to become a teacher have gotten harder. They’re so difficult in fact that the Department of Education has asked the State Board of Education to lower the passing scores in some areas so that more potential teachers can enter the pipeline. For example, to be certified in early childhood reading and English, you need a score of 30 to pass, a level that only 24 percent of the last test takers attained. The DOE wants to lower that score to 24, which would yield a pass rate of about 80 percent. It would yield more teachers, but it also would sacrifice quality for quantity.

Contributing to the “teacher shortage” as well is how college students now become teachers. In the old days you got an education degree with a minor in a subject area such as science or history. Now, for secondary education, you get the degree in the subject area with a minor in education. But once students earn degrees in their areas of major, many of them stay in that field rather than pursuing a career in education.

Teresa Meredith, president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, as much as admitted this in an interview with public radio. “You have to get a content degree first, then add the teaching piece, so you won’t go into the education program until near the very end of your college experience,” she said.

Luckily, ideas have emerged on how to address this problem. The state already has a program, although it’s not taken advantage of often enough, that allows individuals in other professions to transfer into teaching if they meet certain criteria. Programs such as Teach for America recruit highly talented graduates in other fields to devote a few years to teaching. The Mind Trust also is working to develop new teaching talent.

And Gordon Hendry, a Democratic member of the State Board of Education, has circulated a proposal that would provide scholarships for students who want to go into teaching. In exchange for the state picking up the tab, students would agree to teach for four years. If they teach in a “D” or “F” school, they can get an annual bonus. The price tag for 500 students would be about $4.5 million. Not a bad deal in a state with a more than $2 billion surplus.

So to say the teacher shortage in Indiana is the result only of education reform is disingenuous. Did some people stay away from teaching because of tougher standards and more accountability? Probably. But it’s a lot more complicated than education reform critics would have you think.

And to those who did bolt from the profession because of tough standards and accountability, I say good riddance. They’re probably not someone either you or I would want teaching our kids.

Shabazz is an attorney and editor of IndyPolitics.org. He can be reached at abdul@indypolitics.org.