Parent Talk / July 2006
Teacher Says
The teaching profession has changed dramatically over the past 40 years. As part of its annual National Teacher Day celebration last month, the National Education Association released a list of the top five trends in the teaching profession and outlined the main characteristics of a 21st century school teacher.
According to NEA’s research and other sources, today’s teachers are primarily white, female, married, religious, and, on average, 43 years old. More than half of them hold at least a master’s degree. In 1961, only 23 percent held advanced degrees.
Teachers today spend an average of 50 hours per week on teaching duties and activities, including grading papers, bus duty and club advising. The average class is 21 elementary pupils or 28 secondary students.
Teachers spend an average of $443 per year of their own money for their students. Elementary teachers spend the most, about $498 per year and secondary teachers spend about $386.
The average starting salary for teachers is $31,704 per year, not including supplemental pay for extra duties. Still, most teachers enter their profession to help shape the next generation. Nearly three out of four say they entered teaching because of their desire to work with young people. And nearly seven out of 10 cite it as the reason for remaining.
One very positive trend is that America’s public schoolteachers are the most educated, most experienced ever. Nearly half of all public schoolteachers (49%) have been in the classroom fifteen years or longer. More than one-third (38%) have twenty or more years of classroom experience. The majority of teachers hold one or more advanced degrees. More than half hold at least a master’s degree. Just 43 percent of public schoolteachers hold only a bachelor’s degree-the smallest percentage in forty years. Plus, public school teachers are highly skilled in the subjects they teach. Nine out of 10 say they spend no time teaching grades or subjects outside their licensed subject area.
The work of teachers is being transformed as teachers learn new skills. More than 75 percent of all teachers participate in professional development related to their grade or subject area.
However, the number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing. Working conditions and low salaries are the primary reasons cited. Twenty percent of teachers say unsatisfactory working conditions keep them from wanting to stay in the profession and 37 percent who don’t plan to teach until retirement blame low pay. The percentages are greater for minority teachers (50%), male teachers (43%), and teachers under 30 (47%). Many new teachers leave after five years. Close to 50 percent of newcomers leave the profession during their first five years of teaching.
The greatest shortages of teachers are in bilingual and special education, mathematics, science, computer science, English as a second language and foreign languages. There is a shortage of male teachers. The percentage of male elementary teachers (9%) and male secondary teachers (35%) has fallen gradually since 1961 and is at the lowest level in four decades.
States with higher teacher salaries tend to have the most male teachers. Michigan ranks first in percentage of male teachers (37%), and in the top five nationally in teacher pay. Mississippi ranks 50th in percentage of male teachers (18%), and 49th in teacher pay.
The NEA also found that public schools teachers don’t reflect the diversity of the student population. Nearly four of every 10 students is a minority, yet teachers are overwhelmingly white (90%). Some 40 percent of all public schools have no minority teachers on staff. The percentage of African-American teachers is just 6 percent, the lowest since 1971. Only five percent of the nation’s teachers are Hispanics, Asians or from other ethnic groups, though some research suggests students of color perform better-academically, personally and socially-when taught by teachers from their own ethnic groups.
Although NEA member-teachers cite “working to increase funding for public schools” as the top priority for their state and local associations, parental and family involvement, building community support for teachers, and increasing funding for up-to-date textbooks, technology and classrooms were also listed as very important to the quality of public education.
It’s good news that teachers now are the most educated and most experienced ever. The lack of diversity in the profession is news that needs to be addressed and changed.
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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