Teacher Retirements Might Swamp Schools
A wave of retirements could create a severe teacher shortage in just a few years, a new study says
"We're going through a massive shift in the demographics of the workforce, and at the same time we've moved into a 21st century economy," says Tom Carroll, NCTAF president and author of the report, Learning Teams: Creating What's Next. "Students need new skills, and we have this massive, one-time infusion of funding from the stimulus bill. This is the classic crisis that is an opportunity to redesign the workforce."
Some are arguing, however, that the same 21st century economy, given its current downturn, will most certainly lessen the number of teachers retiring over the next few years, mitigating the doom-and-gloom scenario offered by NCTAF officials. The organization conducted the survey portion of its research in November 2008.
"People simply aren't retiring now," says Harvard's Merseth. Indeed, of teachers responding to the NCTAF's national survey of 400 teachers and 95 principals who had been considering retirement in the next five years, 36 percent said they've put their plans on hold.
But a soft economy is no excuse not to act, NCTAF and other experts maintain.
"We're at a critical stage in helping to support our whole education system," says Megan Hookey, interim vice president of the National Retired Teachers Association, a subdivision of the AARP. "The need to support new teachers is essential so that today's students do not miss out on strong learning opportunities."
So what specific changes are education wonks proposing to "redesign the workforce"? The chief proposal of the NCTAF analysis is an idea that many others in the field, regardless of where they stand on the impact of teacher retirement trends, agree is a very good one: cross-generational learning teams. In essence, learning teams—which are being used in some form in a handful of districts around the country—refer to collaboration that unites veteran teachers and beginners with other educators and with outside industry partners and community members. The idea is to foster a sense of teamwork and leverage the best of each generation's skills so that they can be adopted and developed by others. In the case of a massive teacher retirement coupled with high turnover rates, the approach could help new teachers learn vital skills while also giving them a built-in support network for the future. The American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second-largest teachers union, supports the concept of learning teams.
The learning teams concept also makes sense given the temperament of the people who would be participating. "Educators, and specifically retired educators, are known for giving back," says AARP's Hookey. "Whether they work directly with young students or whether they work with fellow colleagues, there is a role for retired educators. And I believe there is an absolute willingness from retired educators across the country to continue to give back in ways that help support our young people."
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Teacher Retirements Might Swamp Schools
According to your article, many teachers will retire in the next several years and many new ones are not lasting even five years.
There are many very qualified candidates of all ages with many years of experience but state rules drive them all away. For instance, if a competent person in his fifties wants to teach in a school, he must pass rigid background checks, take an endless stream of Praxis tests and pretend he relates with thirty year olds or he will not even be considered for a job, much less get hired.
He or she may be very skilled in algebra, trigonometry, calculus and physics but if he misses a Praxis score by ONE point the person is rejected and discarded. If the candidate resents being forced to agree with endless, goofy policies, the person is diminished or left in the cold.
We need to create opportunities for older teachers to be themselves, have autonomy and not be forced to improve with feedback "clickers," i-pods, interactives or other trendy technologies when their style is to teach what they know in ways that work. Many of the efficient demands of new technologies pulls them off their game.
The states and the districts think they have all the best answers in the form of "best practices" that come from PHd's who don't even teach in the classrooms. All the standards are crammed down the throats of teachers and teacher applicants and it drives them out of the teaching field.
Teachers need to be treated with respect as "individuals" and not team members, unionists or sports afficionados. Some teachers,especially older ones, just want to teach what they know. They care about the students and their own subject knowledge but they despise the state bureaucrats and their rules. They don't like politics but instead like chemistry and physics. The knowledge they have is not the same as the state standards that are thrust upon them. They don't want to answer every question the same way that Princeton University or Praxis thinks is perfect. The intrusion of the College Board is just as bad. Being forced to emulate them is taking all the fun out of education. It is absurd to act as though people want to give up their individualism to be like he "collective." We are Amercans, not Soviets!
Every teacher, especially older ones, want to teach what they know, how they know it and in ways that feel comfortable to them. To force them to teach endless tests, correctives and bubble scantrons is stupid!
Let teachers teach what they want, respect them and get out of their way and you might have a few that actually enjoy teaching again.
Education and his problems
Teaching is a career very important may be the most important. if you want to be a lowyer, a president, a doctor, you have to go to school. When a teacher pass the most of his time to prpare his lessons to go in the class and he can't work because a bad discipline, that a shame. he his discouraged. The students who do more problems, some times have reason because the can lye.
@) The efforts don't give to the teachers the chance to have a good money. The doctor act into the body, The teachers act on the brain. You can't realize the progress immediately. but after some monts, some years when you meet your students, you are glad. But for all those things the teachers have to be honored.
3) Teacher can't pass their life in the same class. No promotion
You start in Kindergaten you finish in Kindergarten. Where is the progress in your life. When you are promoted you can do more actions. You have grown. You can be teacher in Kindergarten, in primary, in segondary, in college. This is a process. The person is not static but dynamic.
4) Teacher can be recycled, The continuing formation of teachers is important to keep them in the career. Formation give you the idea you don't know anything and you have to perform your knoledge. When you contact teachers who know more than you, you have the passion to go in advance.
Those are my opinions about teaching.
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