No wonder there’s a teacher shortage

Congratulations to The Bee Editorial Board – after years in the media feeding frenzy – for finally concluding, “…maybe it wouldn’t hurt to dial down on the teacher bashing…no one with talent wants to work for an employer who disrespects them…”

Why enter a profession targeted by a plan using high-stakes testing and teacher- and union-bashing to destroy public schools in favor of dubious charter schools and ultimate total privatization? Even the Secretary of Education, the mayor of Chicago and one former Senator and Secretary of State approve – to the delight of previous administration testing-company cronies and the radical right.

Add apples-to-oranges comparisons of all U.S. students to elite foreign students; neglect of the elephant in the room – socioeconomic disparity; efforts to tie annual low-student-accountability tests to unfair teacher evaluations; low pay; benefit and retirement cuts scapegoating public employees; elimination of job security; “windfall” retirement cuts for second-career teachers. Throw in debt for teacher-education tuition.

Is it any wonder that boomers retire in large numbers, bright college graduates choose other professions and new teachers quit after three to five years for lack of classroom funding, community appreciation or administrative support? P.S. Not all teachers have unions.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 5:46 AM with the headline "No wonder there’s a teacher shortage."