The perfect storm :
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE DESPERATELY SEEKING TEACHERS , BUT WILL THEY STAY ?
With Baby Boomers retiring in droves , preparation programs graduating fewer candidates and a growing student population in some areas , what are schools and districts to do about finding and retaining new teachers ?
8 Leadership
In cities across the United States , employers are scrambling to find qualified candidates for hundreds of positions . The shortage is so pronounced that many jobs are being filled by individuals who have not completed their minimum licensure requirements .
Are these vacancies in the technology , health care or manufacturing sector ? No . These employers are desperately seeking motivated , patient and enthusiastic teacher candidates to work with anywhere from 20 to 180 students every day , depending on the grade level and subject matter .
The teacher shortage has not crashed down on educators like a rogue wave in the ocean . This tsunami has been building over time , but has only recently reached a critical mass due to a trifecta of circumstances .
The first cause is that a deluge of Baby Boomers are now retiring in large droves . Another factor is that teacher preparation programs have been graduating fewer candidates each year for a decade . Lastly , while a recovering economy has allowed some districts to lower class sizes to support student needs , student populations have been growing in many states , and there are not enough teacher candidates to fulfill district needs .
Compounding these circumstances is that once a candidate is hired , a high percentage choose to leave after a brief stint of less than five years in the classroom .
Why the shortage ?
Myriad circumstances are exacerbating the already precarious teacher shortfall . The National Center for Educational Statistics ( NCES ) annually collects school data , including student enrollment , graduation rates and employed teachers . The center also makes projections based on this data . NCES projections from fall 2011 through fall 2022 predict a 6 percent growth for the student population in the United States . While increased student enrollment is one factor contributing to the teacher shortage crisis , teacher attrition is another issue .
California , the most populous state in the union , is one that is experiencing a deficiency of teacher candidates due to growing student enrollment , the attrition of an aged teaching population , and an economic re-
By Jennifer L . Watson