Dive Brief:
- Bay District Schools in Florida has begun offering bonuses to teaching candidates who didn’t go to college for education as well as veteran teachers who will work in new subject areas to fill open positions.
- WJHG reports one teacher, Matthew Birmingham, got a degree in social studies and now teaches human geography and Latin at Arnold High School, where teachers are also needed for upper level math, reading, biology, chemistry, physics and to support students with visual and hearing impairments.
- Human Resources Director Sharon Michalik told WJHG she believes the state should help increase pay for teachers and change its accountability system from one in which new teachers have to pass the general knowledge test, which has only a 32% pass rate.
Dive Insight:
A number of factors have contributed to the drop in interest in teaching among college students. As other fields have become more diverse, when it comes to gender, some of the nation’s brightest female students have chosen different paths than they might have 40 years ago. Respect for teachers is also down, pay is relatively low compared to similarly educated professionals, and the cost of getting a teaching credential is higher than it has ever been in some states.
In response to teacher shortages, legislatures have passed laws reducing the cost of getting licensed, but state officials are wary of reducing the standards that create barriers to entry for new teachers. A Learning Policy Institute report from last fall encouraged a focus on retention, as an alternative.
