The next school year approaches and the big news is that many districts are still searching for teachers. Solutions range from increasing salaries to retain more existing teachers to allowing first responders to teach. As a retired educator, some of the factors associated with the difficulty of finding and retaining qualified staff are easy to understand and accept, but other issues are infuriating and the solutions irrational. The proposal to bring first responders into classrooms is one of the solutions that seems completely bonkers. Yes, people tend to hold first responders in high esteem, but what about the backgrounds of firefighters or police officers would provide the content knowledge and social skills necessary for them to succeed in classrooms?
Yes, certain factors associated with the decline in the number of those interested in teaching make sense. The pandemic was particularly difficult for those adults trying to accomplish traditional duties at a distance or in environments that might be face to face one week and at a distance the next. Salaries that are marginal given the education required and the college debts to repay. Educators must listen to comments about their summers off.
These issues aside, the assumptions of parents spurred on or lead by politicians telling educators what they can and cannot teach would really get to me. Yes, public educators are employees of the people, but they are also trained professionals. State legislatures have proposed 137 laws in 2022. All but one were proposed by Republicans. Most have not passed, but the sentiment and the attitudes that are conveyed have a chilling impact and also encourage parental activities supporting similar expectations.
The analysis defines educational gag orders as “state legislative efforts to restrict teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities in K–12 and higher education.”
I can see why many teachers feel disrespected.
Efforts to restrict the teaching of racism and bias