Today, there are major issues disrupting the education of America’s youth.
Though there are many reasons for our lack of positive educational outcomes, one of the most blatant factors is the nationwide shortage of teachers. Infamous school reputations, inadequate pay and benefits, and safety risks are discouraging people from the profession.
“The profession was vilified nationwide by Republican politicians during the Obama administration. It led to pay cuts, de-unionization, and charter schools; teaching programs saw a decline in enrolled education students,” said a former high school teacher who asked to remain anonymous.
Additionally, teachers’ pay increases are nominal in comparison to that of inflation. During an 11 percent inflation rate, some teachers received as little as a three percent raise.
“It’s pushed too many teachers into side hustles that they all seek to use as an exit plan. The profession is dying, and with them go the entire living memory of American teaching,” said the former teacher.
As a result, teachers are publicly perceived as failures, as if they are the source for these system-wide problems.
“We are not failing, and I resent the harsh criticism of our profession,” said Leslie Midler, founder of Friends of Texas Public Schools.
Not only are teachers fed up, but parents and administrators also as the education system has become the platform for political agendas.
This first concern may seem small, but I assure you it is not. All around the nation, schools are hand-picking books for their libraries that fit the religious and political views of local leaders, disposing of the rest.
Librarians and teachers are fined and fired for hoarding or hiding books deemed unfit for students.
For example, special topics approved by the United States Education Association, most notably “AP African American Studies,” are banned from schools in Florida per Gov. Ron Desantis (R).
Desantis likewise introduced what is referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” which restricts how educators can introduce topics about gender and sexuality to students.
Curriculum censorship is not the only danger in our schools. Over the last several years, there have been dozens of school shootings, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Many parents have taken to home schooling their children as a safety precaution.
Between the restrictions placed on teachers and the prevalence of school violence, it is clear some issues require immediate solutions. Today’s children are the nation’s next generation of professionals. If our education system continues down this spiral, the country will face the repercussions of not properly investing in its future.
