Bottoming out: teacher layoffs become teacher shortages

A recent New York Times article showcased the inevitable rebound of teacher demand due to consistent layoffs and lack of support for educators across the country. One of the major concessions districts are making is the requirement of credentialing before working in a classroom. As the article states:

So schools are looking for applicants everywhere they can — whether out of state or out of country — and wooing candidates earlier and quicker.

Some are even asking prospective teachers to train on the job, hiring novices still studying for their teaching credentials, with little, if any, classroom experience.

While this sounds similar to programs like Teacher for America (TfA) or the Teacher Fellows programs in cities like New York and Philadelphia, it is even worse. Back in February 2015 Teach For America reported that the applicant pool for their program has dropped, breaking a 15-year trend. Whether or not you agree with the politics of organizations like TfA, it is telling that the current economic, political, and social climate is not one to entice people into the teaching profession.

Back in 2013 the National Education Policy Center shared research demonstrating that three specific reforms that were being pushed (and still are being pushed) will de-professionalize teaching, causing a dramatic drop in those who want to join the ranks of educators. The reforms mentioned were:

(1) policies that evaluate teachers based on students’ annual standardized test score gains, and specifically, those based on value-added assessment; 
(2) fast-track teacher preparation and licensure; and 
(3) scripted, narrowed curricula.

If we want to make sure that our students are getting what they need from their careers in school we need to make sure teaching becomes a professional experience once again and drives those in college to make the switch from sitting in front of the metaphorical "desk" to leading behind it.