Teacher Shortage III: To Teach or Not To Teach

After I heard about the teacher shortage I emailed some of my friends from the old school and exchanged cheers. Year after year our group would get smaller as we watched our friends dismissed or forced into early retirement. For us the new shortage is what my friend Ellen defined as “SCHADENFREUDE”. I laughed and added, jokingly (or half-jokingly), that they will end up calling us back to work…

Few days later, I had my first encounter with the shortage. I was called to substitute at a middle school on a Friday, and before the day ended I was asked to come back on Monday to cover an “unfilled position”. “Unfilled?” I asked. Yes, more students than anticipated. They are looking to hire a full time teacher (only after “norm day”). Am I am interested?  And despite of everything, I was almost ready to say ‘yes’, with the ever hope that this time it will be different.

Then came the reality check. With Monday’s assignment came the realization that “no way!” It cannot work with middle school students, who have the attitude and nerve of juvenile criminals. I had to call security almost every period, and was close to slapping several young faces. Of course situation was worse than usual; these kids have not had a permanent teacher since the start of the school year, and were already aware of how unlikely consequences are, but no, I don’t want to do it! So when asked later to come the following day I said “Thanks! But no thanks!”

As I left that school, I realized I missed a call from another school. I was so worn-out from the day’s experience that I didn’t want to hear about another job. I waited till later to find out who had called. When I realized it was one of my favorite schools I asked if they needed me for the following day. The only answer I could get was that it was not about working tomorrow but about my certifications, and I was asked to call the next day. It almost sounded like a possible permanent position offer... “seriously?” I asked myself, “after all these years of rejection?”

That night I could not fall asleep. Tossing in my bed, I strained to remember all the things that I tried to do to improve teaching, to make sure that students had learn the material, to create tests that reflect their knowledge; all my failed attempts to make them accountable for their work, responsible for their duties. My struggle to do so without nerves breakdown. I tried to remember if I had a new plan of how to do it better next time. The more I thought about it the more hopeless it seemed…

It turned out to be nothing. All they wanted was to know if I am still substituting and if they should keep me on their list. And I am glad! I know I won’t be able to reject such a good school, yet I know it would have been the same old dreadful frustration…  

Teacher Shortage II: Special Education

Some of the fields mentioned as having specific teacher shortage were Science and Special Education. One explanation for the shortage, according to the public radio article, was that teaching credentialing programs do not consult with the districts regarding their needs and thus not preparing teachers for areas in demand.

It might be true. I don’t know what kind of communication these institutions have, but facts that I observe are not matching the picture they are trying to paint.

Over the years that I have been in substitute teaching, waiting to come across the big demand for math teachers, I kept hearing about a shortage in science and special education. I even considered going back to school to get special education credentials (meaning starting all over again…). Then I was advised not to do it since others did take this route and still could not find a job. A colleague had suggested taking qualifying tests to become a science teacher, which I did, yet I meet science teachers working as substitutes because they cannot find a position.

Situation may have changed in science, but I don’t think there is a real shortage in special education that is not due to incredible inefficiency in the system.

It is a very sensitive issue, loaded with claims of injustice and lawsuits threats, yet, I would like to hear a good explanation to why a class of general education students should suffer overcrowding of 45 students, while a class of 5-10 special education students may have two full time teachers, and three full time assistants! I am not exaggerating! Many of my assignments are in special education classes, that are usually overstaffed even without me sitting there doing nothing.

In the ‘Mild to Moderate’ Special Day Classes (SDC), there is a known, but an unspoken, agreed lie. These classes are homerooms for a random collection of students, with completely different problems. Since it is impossible to find a common ground for students with behavior problems, learning disabilities, autism, ADD, ADHD and others, the class is just a shell for these individuals. It pretends to teach all the subjects, to do assignments and take tests, but in most cases SDC means permission to do nothing. However, since schools and district are sued for not providing adequate education, they have to play the game and pretend they do.

I was recently called to substitute at a school with block scheduling, two hours a block! It was a special education class with 5 students and two (unhelpful) aids. Teacher’s instruction were scribbled on the board in an untidy manner, with instructions to have students solve problems in a science book that they did not have, from a chapter that they did not read, that included experiments that they have not done, and probably will never do!

As it happens quite often in special education classes, it was a very long day, with very unmotivated students, no clear instruction or lesson plans, yet occupying three adults doing nothing, watching five students doing nothing… sorry… but I don’t call it ‘teacher shortage…’

Teacher Shortage – What a surprise!

Greatest news for teachers and the teaching profession! Shortage of teachers! Are you kidding me?

I completed my Single Subject teaching credentials ten years ago; a second career after losing technical job in early 2000. Math teaching should be safe, I was told…

I, since, was one of many teaching applicants at the district that could not find a permanent job. A year after year I took the long, trying, drive to the headquarters, paying application fees and parking fees, carrying all the precious original papers (Nope! No copies), arguing to no avail that they already have all these docs in their system, as well as my health records, finger prints and picture, just to get ‘oh, we already have those in the system’ (dah!), and then never to hear from them again!

Then there were years of long-term sub assignments in the hope of turning to full-time jobs. At one school, doing some impossible assignments, administrators, at last, felt guilty enough to promise me a permanent job. They almost fulfilled it, but three weeks into the school year, after an early than usual norm-day, and before registration ended, I was let go. A year later, I helped train a new, young, teacher at that school, just to see her let go few weeks later. Poor girl! Her first teaching job!

During the four plus years of long-term assignments at that school, I have seen tens of teachers being riffed every single year. Some were re-instituted, but most not. They either retired or shoved to the sub pool. On the following years, I would meet them in every school I worked, some reassigned, but most working as substitute teachers, trying to hold to their tenure for several more years before retirement.

Many of the young energetic new teachers who came to the system full of hope and enthusiasm, left, disappointed and frustrated. Most are lost forever to the teaching profession. They learned, during their short experience, how frustrating, unfair and even abusive the system is, on top of grueling job with nominal reward. Many friends and siblings of those young people, who planned to be teachers, changed their mind too; watching their peers’ frustration decided not to bother.

And those ‘lucky’ teachers who were not riffed, not reassigned, not relocated, not reprimanded for something that they did not do… They had to deal with No Child Left Behind, Standardized Tests, California Standards, Core Standards, Budget cuts, shortage of discipline deans, shortage of counselors, shortage in janitorial services, Breakfast in Class, Technology ‘progress’ that works only sometimes … to name just a few... Add to that the ever-growing population of ‘entitled’ students and parents, fueled by media and politicians’ agenda…

Funny or sad? I can’t decide…