This article was originally published in the Reading Eagle:
https://www.readingeagle.com/2023/12/21/superintendents-forum-take-a-moment-to-appreciate-teachers/
By: Thomas Voelker, Daniel Boone Area School District
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Teaching is a noble profession. It is the profession that teaches all other professions. Teachers have the ability to inspire, motivate and help students become better versions of themselves than they ever thought possible. Teachers are not just educators, imparting knowledge; they also serve as mentors, role models and advocates. Their societal importance cannot be overstated.
It should also be recognized that teaching comes with numerous challenges. It is, in fact, because of these challenges that teachers play an even more critical role. However, Pennsylvania is experiencing an educator workforce crisis.
In the 2012-13 school year, Pennsylvania issued 16,614 Instructional I certificates (new teacher certification). In the 2021-22 school year, the number of those certificates had dropped to 4,220.
To compound the staffing challenges, teachers are leaving the profession at accelerating rates. During the 2022-23 school year, the attrition rate was 7.7%, which equates to approximately 9,600 teachers in Pennsylvania leaving their jobs.
To help combat the decline in qualified educators, districts are requesting additional emergency permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Education . From 2012 to 2022, PDE went from issuing 1,214 permits to 6,366. During the 2020-21 school year, Pennsylvania began issuing more emergency permits than Instructional I certificates — a trend that has continued.
For reference, teachers working under an emergency permit are college graduates but may not necessarily hold education degrees.
It is critically important to fully understand the driving factors behind this workforce shortage before instituting solutions to improve the situation. While additional research must continue in this area, initial reports indicate there are three primary factors.
• Increased cost of higher education: In 2010, significant cuts were made to Pennsylvania’s budget, resulting in rapidly increasing tuition costs. Many students are not comfortable taking out significant loans to become a teacher when, for the same education (cost of tuition), they can go into a field earning 12% more, on average (based on data from 2018).
• Stagnant and declining wages and benefits: Average teacher salaries have slightly declined over the past 30 years given the cost-of-living increases. Also, in 2019 the General Assembly significantly reduced the benefits (retirement program) for beginning teachers. Financially, there is less of an incentive to become a teacher than in years past.
• Burnout: A combination of factors is leading teachers to feel a sense of burnout. For example, each year additional state mandates are implemented without any former mandates expiring, resulting in hours of additional required training sessions annually.
The respect teachers once carried within our communities has declined. With the increased utilization of social media, teachers often find themselves publicly targeted by students and parents alike. Fewer teachers also mean fewer substitute teachers. When a teacher is out, coverage often falls to peers.
These are just a few of the many issues leading to a sense of burnout.
The governor and the Department of Education have already been working to develop an Educator Workforce Strategy with the goal of improving conditions by 2025, but some of the most impactful changes can be made by us, our local communities.
While, yes, there are some bigger financial issues to work through, it is often the little things that go a long way. If you have not done so recently, please take a minute to contact your child or children’s teachers and simply share your gratitude for their hard work. Those kind words go a long way, especially during this busy time of year.
I became an educator because I wanted to make the world a better place. Teaching is still a wonderful profession, and I encourage all interested to pursue a career in this amazing field.