One year later, schools continue to face several issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic. From student misbehavior to political intervention, the barriers to quality education for students remain plentiful. But one of the most dire challenges remaining is keeping teachers in the profession.
Several recent studies point to the growing need for K12 leaders to meet the needs of their teaching staff, whether it be financially or emotionally. For instance, polling data from The Harris Poll and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools revealed some of the latest trends driving teacher vacancies around the nation. One of the most prominent findings suggests that student misbehavior is the number one issue, according to 74% of teachers, followed closely by compensation (65%).
The researchers concluded that lawmakers and district leaders must follow one simple recommendation: listen to your teachers. Fortunately, several districts are already embracing the call to action ahead of the upcoming school year to ensure teachers want to work at their schools.
Tackling teacher shortages in Michigan
Michigan lawmakers are taking matters into their own hands to address persistent teacher vacancies throughout the state by establishing the “Talent Together Initiative,” a partnership between 48 intermediate school districts among 63 counties across the state. The legislature has allocated $66.4 million for the program to assist aspiring teachers with any financial barriers they may face to becoming an educator, including tuition assistance and flat salaries, Upper Michigan’s Source reports.
“We’re losing more teachers than we are students on an annual basis,” Marquette-Alger RESA Superintendent Gregory Nyen told Upper Michigan’s Source. “That’s creating a structural deficit in educators. This program is designed to begin to address the shortage of educators.”
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Awarding teachers for writing rec letters
A first-of-its-kind agreement between the Berkeley Unified School District in California and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers provides incentives for teachers to write letters of recommendation for their students for college applications.
According to the agreement, educators will receive either time off or additional pay. The initiative aims to provide some sort of compensation for this traditionally unpaid task, while also resolving the issue of students scrambling to find recommenders late in the year, Berkeleyside reports.
“It respects the work that our teachers are doing and the work that really the district respects us to do,” union President Matt Meyer told Berkeleyside.
Flexible use of sick days
New Jersey is reimagining the definition of a school employee’s sick day, whether schools like it or not, NJ.com reports. This week, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new law that allows school employees to leverage their 10 state-mandated sick days regardless if they’re actually sick. The legislation now gives employees permission to call in sick for family health emergencies, mental health and other important matters.
“Being able to get preventative health care, address mental health needs, care for a family member, take time to grieve the loss of a loved one, or be there for a child in times of need all play an important part in a person’s overall well-being,” Murphy said in a statement. “This bill recognizes that reality and allows school employees to take the time they need when they need it.”
