Teacher Shortage
Student’s Name
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Teacher Shortage
The study selects teacher shortage as the focus for this study. Sutcher et al. (2019) inform that the teacher shortage is a real, serious and expanding, and worse than people thought. When key indicator performance of tutors is taken into consideration, the problem is more serious than presently projected, with schools in under-sourced areas being the largest victims of the shortage of qualified and competent instructors. The problem is one that requires considerable attention because the shortage affects instructors, learners, and the public education system in its entirety. Moreover, lack of adequate, competent instructors and staff instability affects learners’ capacity to learn and avert the effectiveness of teachers, and high teacher turnover use a lot of economic resources that could be better used elsewhere (Sutcher et al., 2019). The shortage makes it much difficult to create a positive image for teaching and to make the whole practice professional, which further worsens the shortage. Moreover, the fact that the shortage is spread so evenly among learners of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds affect the education system in the U.S., particularly tampering with the goal of the education system in the U.S. of offering proper education, equitably to all learners (Sutcher et al., 2019). The study examines how various researchers and scholars have make proposals on how to address the problem. Even though they come up with views that they think will yield the best outcome, it is apparent they all think that something needs to happen to salvage the situation and prevent it from becoming worse. Those responsible for teacher staffing need to pay considerable attention to these proposals to acquire tips that would help to address the problem that could get out of hand if concerned parties neglect those vital recommendations.
Summary of Research Articles
Teacher shortage affects many public schools in the U.S. and there is need to act very fast to mitigate the problem. That is according to Berry and Shields (2017) who believe that various issues have resulted in the current stalemate that requires much attention to come up with effective remedies. According to Berry and Shields (2017) the depreciating interests in teaching has strong affiliation with substantial transformations in the nature of this profession. Berry and Shields (2017) further assert that as top-down school transformations intensified under the program labelled No Child Left Behind, the act of teaching became less appealing to young people. This, among other factors, has contributed to the present teaching staff shortage.
Further research indicates that not every learner in the U.S. enjoys a high-quality, stable teaching that positively impact on them. The argument is according to Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019) who assert that over many years, hundreds of thousands of learners in the U.S. have been to learning institutions where instructor turnover is considerably high, while in some situations the educators are not adequately prepared for their teaching exercises. Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019) attribute the problem to the relentless teacher shortages, which have happened in recurrent waves since the mid-1930s. The researchers also feel that underfunding in ill-equipped schools has resulted in the problem.
The primary intention of the paper by Sutcher et al. (2019) is to examine the origins of and possible remedies to teacher shortages in the U.S. It examines the causes of the present and projected escalations in instructor demands in connection to enrollment rates, changes in teacher-pupil ratios, and erosion. It then puts these connection in light of recent reductions in teacher supplies and assesses evidence in scarcity in areas such as special education, science, mathematics, and teachers for English students, as well as in specific areas of the nation (Sutcher et al., 2019). Consequently, the authors believe that quick and effective mitigation is needed to evade the problem.
Solutions in the Research Papers
The various selected research papers propose solutions that if applied effectively would help to mitigate the identified issue affecting learning institutions. According to Sutcher et al. (2019), mentoring and induction and enhanced teaching conditions would contribute significantly toward addressing teacher shortage. Sutcher et al. (2019) assert that together with adequate preparation, adequately designed mentoring initiatives improve retention for new instructors, as well as their feelings of efficacy, instructional competence, and their attitudes. Furthermore, Sutcher et al. (2019) write that whereas salary could contribute towards retention, the working conditions play equally essential functions. Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019), on their part, recommend a series of strategies that they think will help to address the shortage. One of the possible mitigation approaches according to Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019) is to improve compensation via salaries and provisions for such costs as college and university loans forgiveness and housing. Besides, Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019) argue that enhancing school management and hiring practices so that instructors are expeditiously assessed and recruited and adequately stationed contribute significantly toward retention. Moreover, Darling-Hammond and Podolsk (2019) encourage the need for comprehensive preparation so that educators are both more competent and more likely to stick to their profession. Berry and Shields (2017) also give suggestions that they think will help to deal with the problem more effectively. They recommend adequate and balanced staffing in all schools while encouraging the government to allocate much revenue into this area. Berry and Shields (2017) believe that allocating enough resources towards the problem will help to achieve a balanced pupil-teacher ratio that encourage instructors to stick to their workplace. All the identified suggestions are effective in their own right and deserve equal attention to deal with the problem effectively.
My View
My perception is that teacher shortage is a serious concern that requires considerable attention. I am confident that effective application of the suggested remedies would help to address the problem in the most effective manner. I think that making independent choices while dealing with the matter may not deliver the most suitable result bearing in mind that the issue is of public interest and affects many people across the country. Thus, the most suitable approach in this case would be to engage as many stakeholders as possible into finding a remedy that would have long-lasting implications (Sutcher et al., 2019). Consequently, I think that it would be easier to come up with possible alternatives when different groups work together towards achieving a common objective. My view is that various stakeholders need to join hands and find a suitable remedy to the issue that is likely to worsen if nothing happens to find a suitable solution. It is easier to find effective intervention approaches when various individuals and groups contribute their views rather than when individuals work single-handedly. I also think that scholars need to come up with more suggestions that would contribute towards easing the current stalemate affecting institutions of learning. The reported alleviation approaches implies that scholars have a duty to play in easing teacher shortage, and following the trend could set the pace for future mitigation practices. Therefore, the attempts to address teacher shortage, especially in public schools should be a continuous process to achieve impressive results.
What needs to be Published
Even though various scholars have suggested solutions that they think will address the problem of teacher shortage in the most effective manner, I believe that the papers would more informative if they addressed other equally essential concepts and ideas. It would be more appropriate if the identified scholarly works emphasized on government funding because the idea does not come out clearly even though Berry and Shields (2017) touch on the importance of government funding. Scholars need to adequately inform that state or federal funding might attract more prospective educators to preparation initiatives in academic areas where the number of teachers is not adequate. After all, the government has the sole obligation of ensuring that teachers get what they need to facilitate their teaching exercises. In addition, whereas the identified scholars emphasize the need to create an appealing working condition, it is essential to pay considerable attention to the importance of nurturing leadership styles that allows workers to feel more satisfied with their workstation. It would be essential to emphasize the need for democratic leadership because this provides an opportunity for individual instructors to give their views regarding what ought to happen to have a conducive teaching environment. Whereas stakeholders have made significant strides towards alleviating teacher shortage, definitely more need happen to end the problem.
References
Berry, B., & Shields, P. (2017). Solving the teacher shortage: Revisiting the lessons we’ve learned. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(8), 8-18. DOI:10.1177/0031721717708289
Darling-Hammond, L., & Podolsk, A. (2019). Breaking the cycle of teacher shortages: What kind of policies can make a difference? Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(34), 1-15. doi:10.14507/epaa.27.4633
Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2019). Understanding teacher shortages: An analysis of teacher supply and demand in the United States. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(35), 1-40. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1213618.pdf