Nowadays, there are teaching assistants and parent volunteers in many classrooms....
But maybe no teachers.
chicagotribune.com
Burned out and frustrated
"I think a lot of teachers are honestly burned out," said Michael Allen, a policy analyst with the Education Commission of the
States, a leading clearinghouse of education data.
Ed Doherty, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said teachers might stay longer if they were happier.
"What bothers me is the number of teachers in their late 50s, healthy and talented, who are itching to leave the school system,"
Dougherty said. "If you are constantly reading in the newspaper about how `lousy' a job you are doing, teachers are going to want
out early."
Haselkorn of Recruiting New Teachers thinks lawmakers have missed opportunities to relieve pressure on both teachers and the
system. Among other things, he points to the difficulties teachers face in moving pensions, licenses and seniority from one district
to another.
Besides making it harder to balance local shortages and surpluses, these obstacles also keep unhappy teachers from finding
places where they might be willing to stay even after they qualify for retirement. |
