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The Economics of Becoming a Teacher: Addressing Teacher Shortages and Novice Teacher Quality

This article explores the economic factors influencing the shortage of qualified teachers and the quality of novice teachers. It discusses the framing of teacher shortage issues and suggests potential program shifts to address these challenges.

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The Economics of Becoming a Teacher: Addressing Teacher Shortages and Novice Teacher Quality

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  1. The Economics of Becoming a Teacher Karen DeMoss Addressing a missing link in our framing of teacher shortages and novice teacher quality Executive Director, Prepared To TeachBank Street College

  2. Today’s Menu of Activities • Frame discussions in new ways • Develop new language for new discussions • Explore program shifts for sustainability • Consider linking efforts across the nation

  3. First, Hello!Shout Out: Anthony Kim, Founder & CEO, Education Elements 3 min: How could you sabotage an organization’s efforts from the inside? • No violence • No suspicion of your efforts • Remain part of the organization

  4. Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA), 1944

  5. Part 1: Framing the Discussion How the “teacher preparation problem” has been framed IS the problem

  6. Problem Definitions Determine the Solution Set • Unequal tax bases and reliance on local taxation result in unequal educational outcomes • Other countries are outperforming the US on standardized tests • Teachers are lazy and/or don’t care about their students • Higher education faculty don’t understand or care about schools

  7. 3 min: How do people in your locality define teacher education problems?

  8. The Overarching Problem Definition We Are Changing • Definitely oversimplified, almost certainly wrong, yet widely accepted • Promoted through both No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top (RttT) What ails the country’s educational system is educators.

  9. From Problem to Narrative #1: Educators built our systems to serve their needs. Those systems are as impossible to move as elephants. Heath and Heath (2010). Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard

  10. From Problem to Narrative #2: The wrong people are in education. Educators don’t know how to move the elephant. Heath and Heath (2010). Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard

  11. Our Narrative: The system and the people may not be perfect—but they have great strengths. They want and know how to move the elephant. Our problem: The path is blocked. Heath and Heath (2010). Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard

  12. Our Solution to the Real Problem: Funding Candidates Clears the Path Candidates can’t afford to work for free. Living expenses are 2/3 of the cost of college Tuition is NOT the greatest issue. Living expenses are. Without financial supports to live, candidates are drawn to quick-entry programs Institutions can’t increase unpaid clinical requirements and attract more diverse candidates New AACTE report: Household incomes of white teacher candidates twice that of candidates of color

  13. Money Matters: Teacher Diversity

  14. Money Matters: Professional Preparation

  15. Money Matters: Teacher Efficacy

  16. Part 2: New Language for the “New” Problem How Misunderstandings Can Undermine Our Goals

  17. 5 min: What’s your current communication state? Brainstorm 2 lists: When does dismay or indignation arise about things that districts and schools say or do? What do your faculty wish district and school partners would understand?

  18. Translating from K-12 to Higher Ed What They Say • Couldn’t you reduce the number of courses you require? What We Hear • They don’t value our contributions to the profession • They don’t care about the deeper foundation of their teachers

  19. What we have found they mean We value your program graduates because they are strong novice teachers. But so many candidates can’t afford the current preparation model, so they opt for quick, cheap, easy routes into teaching. They are underprepared and leave quickly. We know that. But we have to staff our classes, so we end up hiring them. We would really prefer they came through your programs. Is there any way you can make your programs more affordable so candidates who want to work in our districts can afford them?

  20. Translating from Higher Ed to K-12 What WE Say • We are committed to having the absolute best people enter into and graduate from our programs. What THEY Hear • The program does not care about • Demographic mismatches between aspiring teachers and P-12 students • Hiring needs that affect teacher quality for children in your own local districts

  21. 10 min: What do you mean to say? What might they be hearing? Review your lists, exploring potential misunderstandings. Brainstorm ways to reinterpret partners’ positions and reframe your own

  22. Part 3: Exploring Potential Program Shifts Low-hanging fruit that both help support candidates financially and help shift the narrative about the sector

  23. Exchange of Services Aligned with District Priorities • Professional Development • Faculty expertise fill planned PD roles at no cost • Research • Faculty-led, district-identified research projects with course releases • Course-embedded inquiry projects that serve district needs • Cost savings fund candidates

  24. Existing Roles Aligned with Course Learning Goals • Enrichment Programs: Summer school, before- and after-school • Assistant Teacher Functions • Split paraprofessional lines (including IDEA) • Unfilled instructional support roles • Substitute Teaching • Limited in scope via MOU, e.g. 1 day a week • Cost savings fund candidates

  25. School Improvement DesignsProgram and School Mutual Adoption • P-12 calendar alignment • Planful approach to Resident Teachers’ roles • Embedded courses and faculty • Shared professional learning across the school • Teacher leadership coursework/degrees • Reflective practice and aligned coursework • Cohort models in licensure areas needed by district • Cost savings & school improvement dollars fund candidates

  26. The Cash Cow: An Additional Narrative to Consider • Version 1: Teacher Preparation is a Cash Cow for Universities • Not true. Costs are average from across majors. • Version 2: Teacher Prep Takes $$ From Alternatives and Gives Nothing Back • Maybe True: TFA, District residencies • Often with full tuition, University overhead up to 50%, and little oversight • Maximize $$ to candidates in your designs

  27. 10 min: What are some low-hanging fruit your programs might explore? Consider exchange-of-services models, pay for students serving roles in the school, and whole school improvement commitments

  28. Part 4: Prepared To Teach Building a National Coalition to Solve the Problem of the Economics of Teacher Preparation

  29. What might a national coalition do?

  30. We Invite You To… • Check out our resources: Bankstreet.edu/prepared-to-teach • Sign up for our releases: https://tinyurl.com/PreparedToTeachSignUp • Follow us: @PreparedToTeach, #Funded4Equity, #PracticeMakesPrep • Contact us with ideas/interest! PreparedToTeach@bankstreet.edu

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