Editorial re: Teacher Shortage

This is specifically about Minnesota but given the geographic proximity, Wisconsin could have the same problems. If anybody has any insight on this, please enlighten the rest of us!

Maria

Editorial: Expand efforts to hire, retain teachers

Recruitment, retention need more statewide attention.

Published: October 19, 2007

Half of Minnesota school districts have difficulty finding and keeping
math, science and special education teachers. And nearly half of new
educators switch districts in the first five years of their careers --
another 15 percent quit teaching altogether.
Combined, those trends spell trouble for Minnesota schools. Today's
students need more instructors in math and science -- not fewer. And
special education enrollment is growing by leaps and bounds, so
teachers are desperately needed in that specialty as well.

The scope of Minnesota's teacher shortage is well documented in a
recent report from Minnesota 2020, a local think tank. It points out
that math and science teachers are in particularly short supply, that
excessive teacher turnover gobbles up district dollars, and that rural
schools are hardest hit by the trend.

The study also focuses on a smart solutions. Researchers recommend
increased statewide use of comprehensive mentoring and other support
for teachers that will aid recruitment and retention Educators are
more likely to stay put when they have mentors and receive good
on-the-job training.

Supporting educators is crucial, but there are other factors to
consider. Salary is a major issue. In the private sector, math and
science majors can earn twice as much as the average starting salary
for teachers: $31,400. The state should consider pay adjustments and
other incentives, such as housing subsidies, to attract teachers for
hard-to-staff jobs.

Math and science teachers have always been a more difficult to find
because fewer students choose those subject areas. But the current
shortage is exacerbated by the pending retirements of thousands of
baby boomers and not enough students in the educational pipeline to
replace them. Experts estimate that schools will need 250,000 teachers
in those areas in the next decade.

Minnesota is not alone. Teacher shortages are plaguing schools across
the nation. According to the Education Commission of the States, 48
states have programs such as "Grow Your Own," in which college
students commit to teaching for several years in return for
scholarships and tuition forgiveness. Other states are rehiring
retired teachers.

To their credit, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Department of Education
have also been working on the issue. The state has an initiative to
help midcareer professionals earn teaching licenses, and some
districts participate in Q-Comp, a program helps districts change
teacher pay schedules.

Those are important first steps, but more must be done. Small pilot
programs cannot fill the thousands of teacher positions that are on
the horizon. State lawmakers should expand current efforts and employ
creative new strategies to attract new teachers and retain the best.

(c) 2007 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.