Teacher shortage: Oklahoma schools begin academic year with more than 800 vacancies

[soonerguru]

You are more than welcome to hang on to second-hand, general anecdotal evidence versus hard data published by the districts and government.

I'm not so much arguing with you as putting this information out for anyone who may actually be open to learning and maybe even challenging some long-held assumptions, as I did for the first time about 10 years ago.

I note that you are correct that some of the suburban districts pay a twitch more, but I take exception to your comment. I provided direct, actual salary information from the school districts. This is the hardest data provided for this discussion. Did you look at the salary data I provided from the Edmond and OKC school districts?

I think you may be holding on to information that is easily obtained, such as the wage study you cited earlier in the thread. The study that suggests teachers make $44k a year. It doesn't tell much of the story.

Looking at the "hard data" that I provided tells a different story. You can rack up tons of student loan debt for a job that after 10 years and a masters degree doesn't even pay $40k. The lazy way out of this is just to throw up one's hands and say, "Those teachers don't have it so bad." Also, you cite the anecdotal evidence of having worked with teachers in the LA school system. While I think this is great and I would like to learn more about your experience, it doesn't relate to the topic at hand, which is that Oklahoma has a teacher shortage.

[Martin]

You can rack up tons of student loan debt for a job that after 10 years and a masters degree doesn't even pay $40k.

many teachers are eligible for student loan forgiveness programs. -M

[soonerguru]

many teachers are eligible for student loan forgiveness programs. -M

That's great. Very smart idea.

[kelroy55]

many teachers are eligible for student loan forgiveness programs. -M

That is a good thing and correct me if I'm wrong isn't that based on if they work in certain area's where their needed the most?

I support merit pay for teachers where the good ones do make more, I think they all should make more, but there needs to be a better incentive like most other occupations have.

[kelroy55]

[kelroy55]

[kelroy55]

[kelroy55]

[bandnerd]

many teachers are eligible for student loan forgiveness programs. -M

Only if you teach in certain subject areas (math, science) in certain types of schools (inner city, Title I, etc.). So, if I hadn't been lucky enough to get the need-based and some merit-based scholarships, and workstudy, to help pay for my undergrad, and lucky enough to have married well enough to pay for grad school, even going to UCO would have been a decent chunk of change for a teacher.

Just sayin'. It's not an option for all.

[kelroy55]

Multiple choice question...

1. Bad teachers
2. Stupid people
3. Stoned

[Martin]

That is a good thing and correct me if I'm wrong isn't that based on if they work in certain area's where their needed the most?

there are all kinds of programs... i think most of the federal ones require some time spent in areas of need as you suggest. many of the state and locally administered ones, i think, just require work in public education. bottom line, the average educator isn't going to be on the hook for the entire sum of their student loan debt. -M

[PennyQuilts]

They should offer broader loan forgiveness as an incentive in areas where ther are teacher shortages. I understand why they do it in struggling schools because that's a hard job few really want. And I also understand offering assistance for subjects where the teacher could make much more money, elsewhere. I don't think we have as much a shortage of fun/objectively rewarding subject matter/locations. It is one thing to teach cute little third graders in a wealthy suburban district where the only violence is apt to erupt because two parents had their heart set on being room mother. It is another to teach in a school where most of the kids are living in high crime neighborhoods, their parents are druggies and the kids don't get fed or have decent clothes. Those teachers ought to get battle pay, if you ask me.

[RadicalModerate]

Is there actually a "Teacher Shortage"? (as compared to a klustterfukke of eductationist bull****edocumentriananality crapola).
Is it a "Union Deal" r' whut? =)
Please, Note the "emoticon, whathaeveah
Been all over that and done it.
Weaving and Quiliting are more progressive.
Yet only if refuse to not confuse either of them
With the current crop.dk

note to Bandnerd: I ain't referreing to you . only the obvious and inexcusibile flaws in the taxpayer supported DayCare Centers

SumBitch . . . May I take to moment to apologize for my misapprehension that no true "teachers/educators/managers, thereof" exist in the Cloud of Humans Being Humans (and teachers?

[RadicalModerate]

Sorry, Penny, I recon I done skipped a stitch in the logical and irrefutable argument, argued, above.
Oh . . . well so be it.

Please be Advised (officially) That The Public Education of The Newcomers Is Outside of My Circle of Immediate Concern.
(helicopter soccer moms take note . . . send in the drones . . .=)

[PennyQuilts]

I'm so confused...

[bandnerd]

Radical -- yes, there is a shortage. Surprisingly, there aren't enough enough band and choir directors in this state, or some schools aren't willing to pay for separate teachers, so some places you do both. It's not great. There are never enough to fill the positions that open up for whatever reasons (this year, there were a lot of retirements that happened, so people started leaving their jobs to take those jobs, and the grand shuffling began -- several new hirees were from out of state). These were jobs in poor, wealthy, rural, suburban, and urban areas. Rewarding, yes. Easy, none of them.

Science, math, world languages, and special ed are always short enough teachers. I know science and math teachers can get loan forgiveness if you teach inner city/Title I. It takes five years, though, and many can't stick it out that long, or aren't kept long enough to do so.

[RadicalModerate]

It ain't all about "maths" . . .

(please feel free to bypass the intro by driving by it at 80 mph although it contains some interesting stats.
it should only take about a minute to do so. excuse me: to so do.)