CLASSROOMS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FACING A MAJOR PROBLEM. WITH NO CLEAR SOLUTION. A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS. MEN AND WOMEN WHO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN ARE INCREASINGLY BURNT OUT, STRUGGLING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF TWO PLUS YEARS OF A PANDEMICS, INCREASING SCRUTINY OVER CURRICULUM THAT PUT MANY OF THEM AT THE CENTER OF EDUCATIONAL CULTURE WARS, AND NOT TO MENTION FEARS ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND LOW PAY. 280,000 FEWER TEACHERS NOW THAN AT THE START OF THE PANDEMIC. 280,000. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. THAT'S A CRISIS THAT IS IMPACTING SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN BOTH URBAN AREAS, AND RURAL AREAS. IT'S IN EVERY REGION, VIRGINIA HAS MORE THAN 2500 TEACHING VACANCIES RIGHT NOW ACCORDING TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. KANSAS COULD FACE THE WORST TEACHER SHORTAGE IN STATE HISTORY THIS FALL. THEY HAVE ABOUT 1400 VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. HOW ABOUT THE STATE OF ARIZONA. SCHOOLS ARE OPENING SHORTLY. AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE SHORT MORE THAN 2200 TEACHERS. THESE SHORTAGES HAVE FORCED STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE DRASTIC STEPS TO ATTRACT MORE CANDIDATES OR KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN. ALABAMA HAD TO LOWER THE REQUIREMENTS TO SEEN A TEACHING CERTIFICATE. THAT'S UPLIFTING. SOL DISTRICTS IN RURAL TEXAS HAVE DECIDED TO MOVE TO FOUR DAY SCHOOL WEEKS. LET'S TALK ABOUT UNEVEN EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME. THEN THERE'S FLORIDA, THEY ARE TURNING THE MIM TARRY VETERANS, SOME OF WHOM DON'T HAVE BACHELOR'S DEGREES TO LEAD THE CLASSROOMS. GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHAT'S CAUSING THE TEACHER SHORTAGES MAY BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S ALL OVER THE MAP. PERHAPS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING IS DETERMINING THE AFFECT OF THE SHORTAGES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY HOW TO FILL THE VACANCY. LET'S BRING IN A COUPLE SUPERINTENDENTS CARLTON JENKINS SUPERINTENDENTP THE MADISON METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WISCONSIN. AND HEY SUE JARRA, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF CLARK COUNTY SCHOOLS IN THE LAS VEGAS AREA. YOU GUYS MAY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS, BUT I WILL GUESS THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF SIMILAR ISSUES. DR. JENKINS, LET ME START WITH YOU. TELL MEET STORY OF YOUR SHORTAGES IN MADISON. >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR HAVING MYSELF HERE TODAY ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUE DR. JARA. OUR SHORTAGES IN MADISON MIRROR THE COUNTRY. WE KNOW THAT THE SHORTAGES ARE REAL. THESE SHORTAGES HAVE BEEN COMING NOW FOR SOME TIME. WE GO BACK WITH THE NUMBER OF DEGREES CONFERRED IN EDUCATION BACK IN 1970, '71, ALMOST 200,000 DEGREES BEING CONFERRED EACH YEAR. AND THEN NOW DOWN TO LIKE LESS THAN 90,000. AND IN MADISON, WHICH WE ARE A GREAT CITY. ONE OF THE TOP CITIES WE HAVE TO 233 33 EMPLOYEES AND OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AND OVER THE SUMMER, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 141 VACANCIES AT THIS TIME APPROXIMATELY. >> SO, DR. JARA TELL ME YOUR STORY A LITTLE BIT IN CLARK COUNTY. >> YEAH, THANK YOU, CHUCK. AND I APPRECIATE IT. GLAD TO BE HERE WITH DR. JENKINS. WE ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES. WE STARTED ACTUALLY SCHOOL ON MONDAY WITH APPROXIMATELY 1300 VACANT POSITIONS IN THE SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN. ONE OF THE THINGS I CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IS WE HAVE SEEN IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES THAT AS BIG AS WE ARE, FIFTH LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY, SO WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT OPENED. SIGNIFICANTLY WITH HAVE I CAN'T POSITIONS IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE HAVE-- AS I AM CALLING, A CRISIS BECAUSE IN THE URBAN CORE WHERE THE CHILDREN NEED THE MOST SUPPORT IS WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE VACANCIES. SOME OF THE SUBURBAN SCHOOLS, WE ARE FULLY STAFFED. TEACHERS HAVE CHOICE BUT WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN CLASSROOM EDUCATORS OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. AND THE AS DR. JENKINS MENTIONED, IT'S THE ATTACKS THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION HAS BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY FOR SOMETIME. I STILL BELIEVE WE DO HERE WE ARE THE BEST CHOICE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND WE SERVE ALL. SO, IT'S A CRISIS WE ARE EXPERIENCING. >> WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE UNDERSTAFFED SCHOOLS COMBINING CLASSES? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MAYBE MORE FREE PERIODS IN A DAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TACTICS YOU ARE USING? >> NO, I GOT TO GIVE CREDIT TO ALL MY BROTHER PRINCIPALS THAT ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS THE COMBINATION OF CLASSERS, TEACHERS -- ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH IS BARGAINING UNIT, AND THIS PAST SUMMER, THE BOARD APPROVED A RAISE AND INCENTIVE NOT ONLY A INCREASING STARTING PAY $50,000 A YEAR, AND ENDING AT THE END IT INCREASED. BUT USING RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT BONUS FOR EDUCATORS. USING DOLLARS. BUT IT'S COMBINATION. ALL MY EDUCATOR IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO OUR SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS AND URBAN COMMUNITIES. >> DR. JENKINS, COME FROM FAMILY OF A LOT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS AND A COUPLE OF THEM ARE -- HAVE PUT IN FOR THEIR RETIREMENT, AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THIS WITH THE BOOM RETIREMENTS, BUT NOW YOU ARE GETTING THE GEN-X FOR OTHER REASONS, I AM OUT. THIS IS TOO HARD. AND IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO SLOW DOWN THE RETIREMENTS. >> MOST DEFINITELY. I THINK OUR PROBLEM FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION AT ONE POINT, WE HAVE HAD SHORTAGES FOR A LONG TIME IN EDUCATION. BUT THE PANDEMIC TRULY HAS INCREASED ACCELERATED THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO RETIRE, BECAUSE THEY ARE FEELING THE LACK OF SUPPORT IN THE CLASSROOMS, COMING BACK AND GOING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC FOR THE LAST 29 MONTHS OR SO. WE HAVE NOT HAD ALL THE RESOURCE EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE DOLLARS THAT DR. JARA MENTIONED. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LONG-TERM. WE HAVE GIVE QUICK INCENTIVES FOR INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY RECOGNIZING HARD WORK THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH. BUT WE ARE CALLING FOR A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT, STATE INVOLVEMENT IN OUR STATE, AND WE ARE SEEING THIS INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION. WE HAD A 0-0 ADD TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING IN TERMS OF VERY MUCHMENT FROM OUR JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE. WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THIS. WISCONSIN IS RIGHT NOW, ALWAYS, WITHIN THAT 1 TO 2 IN TERMS OF LOWEST PERFORMANCE OF INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. SO, TO RETIRE TO REDUCE SOME OF THE RETIREMENT, AND CONTINUE THE PEOPLE HELPING IN EDUCATION WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, PROVIDE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND INCREASE THE PAY, NOT JUST FOR THE TEACHERS, BUT THE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS. WE ALMOST CLOSED SCHOOLS, IT WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD SERVICE WORKERS. TEACHER WANT TO TEACH BUT IT'S AT A POINT RIGHT NOW, DISRESPECTFUL TO HAVE PROFESSIONALS THAT CONTINUE AT THIS LEVEL AND TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO PAY TO TEACH. IT'S ALMOST AT THAT POINT NOW. OUR EAs ARE PAYING TO FOLLOW THE PASSION. >> DR. JARA, YOU BROUGHT UP A INTERESTING PHENOMENON. YOU SAID I AM NOT HAVING PROBLEM IN AFFLUENT SCHOOLS TO GET MY TEACHERS THERE, YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEM IN THE LESS AFFLUENT SCHOOLS. ARE YOU ALSO SEEING WHERE THE PARENTS ARE PULLING KIDS OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IF THEY CAN, AND THAT CREATES ANOTHER BAD CYCLE. >> YEAH, WE ARE AND THAT'S PART OF WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CHOICE COMPETITION. WE ARE SEEING SOME STUDENT ENROLLMENT IN SOME CASES WHERE THE PARENTS HAVE A CHOICE. WE SAW THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND I THINK THESE ARE SOME A OF THE THINGS WE ARE ADDRESSING. THE INEQUITIES WE ARE SEEING IN THE CASES IN COMMUNITIES, WE ARE SEEING LOWER CLASS SIZE VERSUS IN MY URBAN CORE, AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST -- ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WE ARE FACING HERE. >> IS IT A MONEY ISSUE, OR DO WE NEED TO RETHINK THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WORKS? WHETHER IT'S NINE MONTHS OR WE GO FOUR DAYS A WEEK BUT 12 MONTHS? YOU SEE WHERE I AM GOING. DO WE NEED TO SAY, OKAY BEING WE HAVE TO RETHINK THIS BECAUSE WE GOT A DIFFERENT SET OF, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO CREATE A DIFFERENT WAY TO TEACH-IN CENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO DO IT. >> IF I CAN, I WILL START WITH I THINK WE DO. WE HAVE TO -- IT'S MORE THAN MONEY. I THINK THAT IS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS INVESTED IN K-12 EDUCATION. BUT IT'S REALLY TO GET US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. NOW WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE US FORWARD, COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND ELLE ACCELERATE. WE HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENT ABOUT HOW WE FUND K-12 EDUCATION AND TEACH AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING AT A VERY SMALL PILOT LEVEL. TO MEET NEEDS OF THE KID. BUT IT'S WORKING CONDITIONS OF ALL EMPLOYEES. I THINK WE NEED A K-12 EDUCATION ACROSS THE NATION. >> DR. JENKINS, ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY, MONEY IS ALWAYS USEFUL BURKS I ASSUME IT'S -- YOU TALKED ABOUT MONEY HELPS IN THE SHORT-TERM, BUT THIS LONG- TERM TREND, AND THE LONG-TERM CHALLENGES, IT SEEMS TO ME CALL FOR MORE THAN JUST MONEY. >> IT TOTALLY CALLS FOR MORE THAN MONEY. RIGHT NOW, COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, AND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS YOUNG, AND HAVE GONE THROUGH SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS. CONSTANT CRISIS PUSHED US TO LIMIT. BUT IN TERM OF FUND MENDALLY CHANGING EDUCATION, SECRETARY CORE DONA SAID IN 2022I THINK, IN JUNE, THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT MORE THAN JUST THE MONEY. WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONS THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW. WE NEED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND FOR THE TEACHERS. WE THINK RIGHT NOW, THIS PROCESS HISTORICALLY UNDER FUNDING EDUCATION, HAS CONTINUED AND NOW IT IS HURTING ALL COMMUNITIES. I WOULD BE ONE TO SAY IT'S NOT JUST HURTING URBAN AREAS. I AM TALKING TO COLLEAGUES AND OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS SUPERINTENDENTS IN SUBURBAN AND RURAL AND WE FACE THE SAME CHALLENGE. THIS IS BECOMING IN MY ESTIMATES, THE NUMBER ONE THEM THAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN FOR OUR DEFENSE. PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE KEY. >> IT'S A -- LOOK, IT'S WHAT MADE US -- IT WHAT HAS MADE US THE-HAVE I OF THE WORLD IS OR AMAZING PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THERE'S NOT A SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY, PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY WHO COULDN'T USE A TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADE OR WHATEVER, JUST ON THAT I LOAN
