For decades now, many American primary and secondary school teachers have faced low wages and poor working conditions. When adjusted for inflation, the national average salary for teachers has only somewhat increased over the past decade, according to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union. This is unlike in Canada where most teachers are members of strong provincial unions and are considered to be well paid and to have excellent benefit and retirement plans. In many instances, there are long waiting lists for recent graduates from Canadian teachers’ colleges to become fulltime teachers. In the U.S., several states are apparently loosing teachers for a number of reasons — low salaries being among the most important.
However, what has become more of a concern in American schools is the evident attempt within certain states, such as Florida, to inject politics into the state’s non-partisan school boards. For example, under Governor Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights Education Act was passed into law. It has been dubbed by some critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill for its restrictions on what teachers can say about sexual orientation and gender identity. Then in 2021, DeSantis signed an executive order banning school boards from enacting mask mandates during the pandemic and threatened to strip state funding from ones who did. Such measures have encouraged some parents to replace school board trustees with more conservative members and to launch book bans within the school district. Teachers perceived as teaching anything related to politics, race, history, gender identity and sexuality are often attacked and frequently forced to resign. Teachers in some states believe that they are caught in the crosshairs of the current culture wars, and are increasingly being forced to leave their jobs at a time when good teachers are in short supply.
In recent years, administrators, teachers and school staff are facing increasing threats of violence to themselves and their students. Mass school shootings, such as the most recent tragic one in Uvalde, Texas, appear to be on the increase. Recent research by The Washington Post reveals that more than 300,000 children have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine High School massacre of April 20, 1999. They found that last year there were 42 school shooting incidents – more than in any year since 1999. Already this year alone there have been 24 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during the school day. Since Columbine, the total amount of children, educators and other people killed during such traumatic incidents stands at 185, with another 369 injured. Disconcertingly, in some states, they are putting forward arguments that teachers should be armed to protect themselves and their students.
For years, many school boards and administrators supported racial equity programs in their school districts. However, more recently, even such programs are being challenged by conservative factions to the point where plans to beef up recruitment of a diverse teaching staff, to address the implicit biases of teachers and to overhaul discipline practices are all now dead or in limbo. The Washington Post reported that, across the U.S. last year, school board elections became the epicenter of a culture war over race. Conservative victories led many boards to fire superintendents and curtail racial justice initiatives. In some districts, white teachers continue to far outnumber black teachers disproportionately to the schools’ black populations. Discussions of “systemic racism” are even no longer permitted within the school districts.
All in all, although several states have given wage hikes and signing bonuses to teachers, the ability and freedom to teach within the curriculum has been greatly restricted. In this day and age, it is not easy being an American in the teaching profession. They must feel that they are constantly under attack and their teaching methods questioned at every turn. No wonder so many are contemplating leaving this worthy profession. A sad commentary for sure!
FROLITICKS
American Public School Teachers Facing Several Challenges Depending On Where They Teach
by bcurryFor decades now, many American primary and secondary school teachers have faced low wages and poor working conditions. When adjusted for inflation, the national average salary for teachers has only somewhat increased over the past decade, according to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union. This is unlike in Canada where most teachers are members of strong provincial unions and are considered to be well paid and to have excellent benefit and retirement plans. In many instances, there are long waiting lists for recent graduates from Canadian teachers’ colleges to become fulltime teachers. In the U.S., several states are apparently loosing teachers for a number of reasons — low salaries being among the most important.
However, what has become more of a concern in American schools is the evident attempt within certain states, such as Florida, to inject politics into the state’s non-partisan school boards. For example, under Governor Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights Education Act was passed into law. It has been dubbed by some critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill for its restrictions on what teachers can say about sexual orientation and gender identity. Then in 2021, DeSantis signed an executive order banning school boards from enacting mask mandates during the pandemic and threatened to strip state funding from ones who did. Such measures have encouraged some parents to replace school board trustees with more conservative members and to launch book bans within the school district. Teachers perceived as teaching anything related to politics, race, history, gender identity and sexuality are often attacked and frequently forced to resign. Teachers in some states believe that they are caught in the crosshairs of the current culture wars, and are increasingly being forced to leave their jobs at a time when good teachers are in short supply.
In recent years, administrators, teachers and school staff are facing increasing threats of violence to themselves and their students. Mass school shootings, such as the most recent tragic one in Uvalde, Texas, appear to be on the increase. Recent research by The Washington Post reveals that more than 300,000 children have experienced gun violence at school since the Columbine High School massacre of April 20, 1999. They found that last year there were 42 school shooting incidents – more than in any year since 1999. Already this year alone there have been 24 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during the school day. Since Columbine, the total amount of children, educators and other people killed during such traumatic incidents stands at 185, with another 369 injured. Disconcertingly, in some states, they are putting forward arguments that teachers should be armed to protect themselves and their students.
For years, many school boards and administrators supported racial equity programs in their school districts. However, more recently, even such programs are being challenged by conservative factions to the point where plans to beef up recruitment of a diverse teaching staff, to address the implicit biases of teachers and to overhaul discipline practices are all now dead or in limbo. The Washington Post reported that, across the U.S. last year, school board elections became the epicenter of a culture war over race. Conservative victories led many boards to fire superintendents and curtail racial justice initiatives. In some districts, white teachers continue to far outnumber black teachers disproportionately to the schools’ black populations. Discussions of “systemic racism” are even no longer permitted within the school districts.
All in all, although several states have given wage hikes and signing bonuses to teachers, the ability and freedom to teach within the curriculum has been greatly restricted. In this day and age, it is not easy being an American in the teaching profession. They must feel that they are constantly under attack and their teaching methods questioned at every turn. No wonder so many are contemplating leaving this worthy profession. A sad commentary for sure!
Education Education in U.S. US