My Island View

We have long heard the statement that 3 out of every 5 new teachers will leave the profession in the first five years. However, it seems that the survey on which those numbers were based has aged out. A more recent study has shown that a 17% attrition rate is a more accurate figure for the first five years. This, however, is not the reason why we are seeing what is being labeled as a “teacher shortage” nationwide. Of course, the pandemic caused many people to reassess their professions and lives, leading to a significant increase in retirements. Neither of these factors is significantly different from those affecting most other professions. So why are there so many headlines about the “teacher shortage”?

First, what is it that defines what a teacher is? Generally speaking, a teacher has at least a bachelor’s degree, and in many states a required Master’s degree, and a teaching certification in at least one subject area. Between 2018 and 2019 approximately 98,000 students completed teacher preparation programs and received their teaching certificates. That leads us to the real question, which is; Why would a person graduate from college and not take a position entering a profession that they had spent at least four years preparing for?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median annual wage for teachers in the US is $61,000 per year. Many districts do not even keep up with the cost of living increases over the years. Jobs other than teaching requiring a bachelor’s or a master’s degree range from $73,560 to $142,170 per year. The obvious must be stated here. Factors beyond salary, such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and impact on the profession and society, are also major considerations. Additionally, it’s also about the kids. Unfortunately, those are the very things that have been used to keep teachers’ salaries down to maintain lower property taxes that fund education.

What is different now, that teachers are being driven from their chosen profession?

It is too simple to blame the pandemic for all of this, but in some ways, that was the start. The political atmosphere around the pandemic had a profound effect on the teaching profession. Teachers, at first, when schools began to close down, were hailed as heroes. I was emotionally moved when teachers from my school district drove their cars in a procession throughout our entire community in support of their students. Television network news shows all had feel-good stories about teachers and kids. As the school closings lingered on, however, everyone was under greater pressure, even beyond the fear of the pandemic itself. Families closed up and locked down with little hope for change, and it took its toll.

Politicians and ideologues began attacking teachers and administrators for any reason they could in support of whatever popular conspiracy theory was circulating in their area. Schools were forced to open in some places and forced to close in other areas. People were not satisfied with whatever the solution was, but all agreed it was the school’s fault. At least that is what many teachers expressed to me.

The very things that drew teachers to their profession have been stripped away. The paltry salaries offered by many school districts, which had been made palatable because of the other more intrinsic benefits of the job, no longer attract new people or even retain veterans.

To end this nationwide “Teacher Shortage,” we need to change the job itself. Start teachers with a wage that is at least comparable to other professions requiring a comparable education. Provide a supported mentorship program for new teachers, guiding them through their opening years. Respect a teacher’s expertise in the area for which they have been educated to teach. Provide an agreed-upon due process system for holding teachers accountable. Insulate education from ideologues and conspiracy theorists. Provide a means for open communication between parents and teachers. Respect teachers for who they are and what they do.

It is my belief that we do not have a “Nationwide Teacher Shortage,” but rather a nationwide shortage of good education jobs for certified educators. Let’s match up all of our certified teachers, who have been forced to seek other employment, back to the profession for which they have been educated

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With the national attention directed at cybersecurity and interoperability in building safe and resilient data ecosystems in K-12, it is important to take a moment to underscore that these efforts are well thought out and stem from fundamental digital fluency and citizenship learning standards, and many lessons learned over the pandemic years. Just another example of the daunting job of educational leaders, and begs a short peek under the hood of Professional Development and Computer Science today. 

Teaching has never been an easy job no matter what anyone says. In most states in order to get a teaching degree a prospective teacher must not only be certified as an expert in a subject area, but he or she must also be certified in education. In many states, like where I live in New York, it is also a requirement to have a postgraduate degree and to obtain continuing education credits in order to retain one’s professional license. All of this is required to address and teach an approved curriculum that adheres to a set of standards to theoretically guarantee that students in any given state of the United States are being taught the same content and learning skills as any other student in that state. That is a tall order.

To complicate the issue of teaching mere content, ideally, teachers are required to teach kids not only WHAT to learn, but HOW to learn and become lifelong learners. The theory is that this is the best way for a student to become self-sufficient enough to, not just survive, but to thrive in any future endeavors. Thus, as information and technology continue to grow and evolve, our citizens would therefore be learning right alongside that evolving reality. Again, this is a lofty goal. 

Taking this a step further, in order for any of this to happen in today’s technology-rich society, teachers must use the latest tools to curate, collaborate, communicate, and most importantly, create information. This adds yet one more area that a teacher must master – navigating the tools to access ever-evolving information, content and processes.

School systems usually address this via professional development plans. Although those of you who have followed my posts know that typically I have reservations about the delivery of most professional development (see my most recent post on Pedagogy vs Andragogy.) Clearly, it will be necessary to get teachers up to speed on essential skills in accessing and maximizing the use of technology.

Teachers come from different generations and various backgrounds. This has created a situation where teachers may vary greatly in their technology experience. Districts also vary in the availability of technology in each district, or even buildings in some cases. Considering all of this, it should be safe to say educators don’t always know what they don’t know. This might be the perfect time to objectively assess each teacher’s digital literacy and technology skill set to address individual needs for personalized learning. There are solutions available that can be employed to do this task, one tool, 2gno.me, is a prime example. This is more in keeping with andragogy, or adult learning.

All of this considered it should be obvious that there is a need to establish the technological skills that should be expected of all stakeholders (administrators, teachers, students, etc.) The establishment of these Technology standards must be revisited frequently to maintain relevance and continually evolve. This is underscored by the advent of Generative AI. It has been out less than a year and has had a massive effect on learning that will continue to evolve profoundly. 

I found great examples of this in my own ‘backyard’ via the New York State ISTE affiliate known as NYSCATE (The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education.) NYSCATE has been a leader nationwide for well over 3 decades, continually re-inventing itself and the rich professional development resources it provides for educators statewide. Through NYSCATE I have begun to learn about the new New York State K12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards.

The New York State K12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards were adopted by the Board of Regents in December 2020. The initial implementation is this year and the final full implementation will be next year 2024-25.  The Five Standards include Impacts of Computing, Computational Thinking, Networks and System Design, Cybersecurity, and Digital Literacy. 

New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards

The K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards are available at the links below.

• New York State K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards (all grades)
• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards Glossary of Terms
• Excel Version of Standards with Examples

Learning Standards by Grade Band

• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (K-1)
• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (2-3)
• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (4-6)
• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (7-8)
• Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards (9-12)

In the fast pace of change in educational technology, NYSCATE takes these standards bringing together great educators from around the state as mentors providing shoulder-to-shoulder professional development. The PD that NYSCATE offers demystifies the standards and provides practical examples of how to teach students skills that they need to be successful in an ever-changing, information and technology-immersed future. 

Every teacher should be brought up to speed on Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Objectives and Standards through this process. Crossing a bridge when you come to it is a logical strategy for hiking, but not so much for the classroom. This is all in keeping with my core belief that if we are to better educate our kids, we need first to better educate their educators.

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