What students told us they love about 5 stellar teachers
In each of these educators, students said they found a friend, mentor, role model, and more. “Abbott Elementary,” a wildly popular television sitcom centered on an optimistic Philadelphia school teacher, will return with new episodes this week — just in time for a new school year and following a successful Emmy Award run. Chalkbeat asked readers to […]
I’m not a licensed teacher. How do I do a good job when I have to sub?
Follow the teacher’s lesson plan. Form relationships with students. When all else fails, use your acting skills. I am a non-licensed central office district employee. There are times over the past years when I have been required to substitute in schools. What is the best way to establish relationships with the students and have a […]
What students told us they love about 5 stellar teachers
In each of these educators, students said they found a friend, mentor, role model, and more. “Abbott Elementary,” a wildly popular television sitcom centered on an optimistic Philadelphia school teacher, will return with new episodes this week — just in time for a new school year and following a successful Emmy Award run. Chalkbeat asked readers to […]
I’m tired of watching my students with disabilities get pushed out of school
Teacher burnout cannot be an excuse to exclude children with challenging behaviors. Lately, amid reported teacher shortages, I see TikToks, blog posts, and forum discussions detailing the reality of teacher burnout and the impossibility of being an educator, social worker, nurse, and librarian all in one. Anyone who has worked in education knows too well this […]
As pandemic complicates recruitment, Teach for America’s incoming class expected to hit a 15-year low
Facing a sharp drop in applications, Teach for America is expecting its smallest crop of first-year teachers in at least 15 years, new data from the organization shows. The organization expects to place just under 2,000 teachers in schools across the country this coming fall. That’s just two-thirds of the number of first-year teachers TFA […]
Philadelphia school district sees ‘dramatic increase’ in midyear teacher resignations
169 teachers have left the Philadelphia School District since December Dozens of teachers have left the Philadelphia school district within the past two months, and filling those spots has proven to be difficult, school district officials say. From the beginning of December through the middle of February, the district has seen a “dramatic increase in teacher resignations compared to previous […]
With teacher departures surging, Philly schools unveil plan to stem tide
The School District of Philadelphia, like other districts across the nation, is facing a teacher and staff shortage as the coronavirus pandemic hits the two-year mark. At Thursday evening’s school board meeting, district officials put a number on the staffing challenge, while board members approved two measures aimed at addressing the problem. At the start of […]
Letter: $11 per hour to sub at a Utah school? Executive orders won’t solve teacher shortage. But higher pay might.
Recently I was informed by my employer that, because of an executive order signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on Jan. 31, I could take up to sixteen hours of personal leave to work as a substitute teacher in one of Utah’s public schools. Curious, I decided to examine substitute teacher pay where I live, in […]
Public education is facing a crisis of epic proportions
How politics and the pandemic put schools in the line of fire Test scores are down, and violence is up. Parents are screaming at school boards, and children are crying on the couches of social workers. Anger is rising. Patience is falling. For public schools, the numbers are all going in the wrong direction. Enrollment is down. […]
Cardona to educators: ‘I know you’re stretched’
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona challenged schools to keep their focus on getting struggling students back on track Thursday, while acknowledging that the disruption caused by the latest wave of COVID cases has exhausted the country’s educators. “I know you’re tired, I know you’re stretched,” Cardona said in a speech delivered Thursday from the Department of Education, where […]
‘Pennsylvania is forgoing resources’: Economists say school funding matters
Research shows that more spending, if properly targeted, improves achievement for traditionally underserved students Two prominent economists testified this week in the landmark Pennsylvania fair school funding case that research shows increased resources, if properly targeted, can improve academic achievement and life success for traditionally underserved students. Both Rucker Johnson, a professor at the University […]
ACT sees drop in students selecting education as planned major
Fewer students are heading into the teaching field, according to American College Testing (ACT) records. The ACT test measures a high school student’s readiness for college and provides colleges with necessary data. ACT reports 7% of Alabama’s 2012 graduating class who took the ACT, selected Education as their planned major. That number dropped to almost […]