Teachers needed! (Maryville: house, school districts, stats)

[hiknapster]

On WATE news this morning:

There is a teacher shortage! They need 30 to 40 teachers!

I know that there have been many inquiries for teaching postions.

wate.com

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

On WATE news this morning:

There is a teacher shortage! They need 30 to 40 teachers!

I know that there have been many inquiries for teaching postions.

wate.com

Were they specific, hiknapster, about the school districts that had the shortages? Any further information would be appreciated.

I'll check to see if WATE has a website that may have the news blip.

Thanks.

[gemkeeper]

Duh! You included the website, hiknapster! Boy, school districts will be waiting in line for a genius like me. LOL

Thanks!

[hiknapster]

Not a problem, gemthornton. I was at work and could barely post, but I have seen so many posts for teachers looking for work around here, and there never seems to be any openings. When my coworker told me they were hurting for teachers, well, I could hardly believe it.

Here is the actual article. I hope it helps someone. Great teachers are always needed. By the way, my little girl starts second grade this Thursday!

Knox County in need of teachers

[gemkeeper]

I was under the impression that there wasn't a great need for teachers in the area, also. It sounds like that situation has changed.

I saw an interview with a school official who said that part of the problem is that teachers tend to give notice late in the summer because of indecision about retiring. Then, as a result the school districts are scrambling to find qualified teachers. They are asking substitutes who are teacher certified with the state to consider working full time. And, also, people from industry who would consider switching careers and teaching in the public school system, particularly high school where there is a shortage of math and science teachers.

That brings up another problem. A person can hold a B.S. or even a Master's degree in education, but because they are teaching major grads, but have been certified by the state (usually an additional 30 - 40 hrs. of course work over a 5 year period) before they can work in the schools. However, someone who never had education courses can step right into a teaching position with a 4 -6 week training class. The districts are letting a lot of dedicated teachers hang out to dry when they could be the best educator to come down the pike. Well, just had to get that off my chest because I know I'll have to get certified in yet one more state!

Thanks for the info, hiknapster. As always, you seem to be one step ahead of everything.

By the way, hiknapster. Tell your little one that she is going to love going to second grade. Second graders are just coming into their own, they have great personalities & such giddy senses of humor, still young enough to have wild imaginations, and love to learn new things. She will enjoy it immensely and you will have a ball watching how she will blossom. I love them at that age. They are little sponges soaking up everything you can give them.

Have fun, both of you.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by gemthornton

I was under the impression that there wasn't a great need for teachers in the area, also. It sounds like that situation has changed.

I saw an interview with a school official who said that part of the problem is that teachers tend to give notice late in the summer because of indecision about retiring. Then, as a result the school districts are scrambling to find qualified teachers. They are asking substitutes who are teacher certified with the state to consider working full time. And, also, people from industry who would consider switching careers and teaching in the public school system, particularly high school where there is a shortage of math and science teachers.

That brings up another problem. A person can hold a B.S. or even a Master's degree in education, but because they are teaching major grads, but have been certified by the state (usually an additional 30 - 40 hrs. of course work over a 5 year period) before they can work in the schools. However, someone who never had education courses can step right into a teaching position with a 4 -6 week training class. The districts are letting a lot of dedicated teachers hang out to dry when they could be the best educator to come down the pike. Well, just had to get that off my chest because I know I'll have to get certified in yet one more state!

Thanks for the info, hiknapster. As always, you seem to be one step ahead of everything.

I agree with you, this can be a problem. That is one of the reasons I relied heavily on the " percent of highly qualified teachers" section of the school report cards on the state web site. I also called and asked the school board how many tenured teachers were on staff at the schools I was looking at. I know it isn't always the case, but every "tenured" teacher my boys had in past schools were the worst teachers. I think that once they know they can't be fired, they don't care about the rules any more and once at the age of such, have much less patients that all teachers need to have with kids.
Just my opinion.

[Beretta]

gem, one of the other issues that hinders this process is the certification of out of state teachers here in TN. My husband holds a teaching certificate from the state of Texas. When we moved here he applied for TN licensure and it took six months for the paperwork to go through (despite calls, etc.). You would think that under Phil Bredesen's governorship (No Child Left Behind) that certifying teachers would be more of a priority.

On another note, I can attest to people moving around just prior to school starting. We had a teacher in Maryville at Foothills decide to retire two weeks ago. They hired her replacement on Tuesday of last week from Knox County Schools; two days prior to the school's open house on Thursday night. School started Monday! She has taught 6th and 4th but not 2nd. Oh boy! She will do fine, but it is a mad dash.

[gemkeeper]

You are so right about the tenured teachers mbmouse. I would love to see a study on the number of years the average teacher is in the classroom before that disenchantment with teaching hits. And, you that once it does your children are not going to receive the attention and enthusiasm that they deserve. It can turn those borderline kids off to education faster than anything.

It takes a lot of energy for an experienced teacher to remain inspired and inspiring. The school systems have taken so much from gifted teachers by insisting that they all conform to "the system", teach what they are told, get the grades up to make the state look good, and don't ruffle any of the parents' feathers. Forget about innovation, creativity, originality. Just fill out the forms, keep the kids in their seats, and let's see the test scores. Too bad. We lose so many good teachers that way and I feel sorry for the ones who after so many years do finally give up and just put in their time. I would think that in their hearts they know they are missing something magical between themselves and their students, and their students are missing what they deserve and need the most - a first rate education with teachers that CARE about them and their futures.

Well, there I go again! My father-in-law hates it when I get on that soapbox. But, somebody has to.

So, I think it is which came first - the chicken or the egg? Do the teachers give up because they have received tenure and don't have to work as hard, or is it that tenured teachers have taught so long that their spirits have been broken by the system? Let's find out. I suspect it is more of the latter than the former.

Thanks for bringing that up, mbmouse. It is something that everyone with kiddos in school should be thinking about.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by gemthornton

The school systems have taken so much from gifted teachers by insisting that they all conform to "the system", teach what they are told, get the grades up to make the state look good, and don't ruffle any of the parents' feathers. Forget about innovation, creativity, originality. Just fill out the forms, keep the kids in their seats, and let's see the test scores.

I know what you mean there. That is the main reason why I moved here. The schools my boys are in now do NOT have teachers like this nor an administration that pushes that. It is just the opposite and we love it!
Last year my youngest son in 6th grade had the coolest social studies/history teacher, he would come home with the neatest, most inventive and exciting projects to do, he really liked it. Then she would take pictures of the kids with the projects on the class web page and us parents could see all the projects. When they were on Egypt, they built a real life mummy sarcophagus, cooked Egyptian food for lunch and bunch of other cool stuff. I don't think any of those kids sat at there desks all year, they learned a lot and had fun! That was only one example of one teacher.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

I agree with you, this can be a problem. That is one of the reasons I relied heavily on the " percent of highly qualified teachers" section of the school report cards on the state web site. I also called and asked the school board how many tenured teachers were on staff at the schools I was looking at. I know it isn't always the case, but every "tenured" teacher my boys had in past schools were the worst teachers. I think that once they know they can't be fired, they don't care about the rules any more and once at the age of such, have much less patients that all teachers need to have with kids.
Just my opinion.

Holy cow, I agree with you about the tenure racket in the education system. And I do mean racket. When I taught in public schools, I never even tried to get tenure. I think every teacher should have to prove themselves to keep their jobs. I mean, no one else in the world is guaranteed jobs. Bankers don't have tenure, police officers don't have tenure, power plant workers don't have tenure. You are smart, mbmouse, to look at those stats before deciding what schools are best for your kids.