7/21/2016
Editorial: Quick fix can't solve crisis ­ Times Union
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus­opinion/article/Editorial­Quick­fix­can­t­solve­crisis­8399383.php
Editorial: Quick fix can't solve crisis
Published 6:17 pm, Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Photo illustration by Jeff Boyer / Times Union
THE ISSUE:
School districts may now rely more on noncertified individuals as substitute
teachers.
THE STAKES:
The temporary fix must be replaced by a multifaceted teacher recruitment effort.
Confronted by school districts struggling to find and retain qualified substitute
teachers, the state Board of Regents turned to what looks like an easy remedy:
lowering the standards.
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus­opinion/article/Editorial­Quick­fix­can­t­solve­crisis­8399383.php
1/3
7/21/2016
Editorial: Quick fix can't solve crisis ­ Times Union
But this solution to what appears to be a growing difficulty for schools all over the
state, especially in low-income, urban districts and sparsely populated upstate
regions, should be only a short-term fix. A more serious long-term solution is
essential.
The Regents action makes it easier for districts to find substitutes by extending the
length of time they can employ individuals who have not been certified — and often
aren't even trained as teachers — to be in charge of classrooms. The action,
approved earlier this month, lets districts keep a noncertified substitute for 90 days
— more than double the previous limit.
The Regents plan to re-evaluate the action in a year or two. Good thing, because
this much is clear: It glosses over the looming teacher shortage in New York. The
state anticipates needing 1,700 new teachers a year, according to a report from the
TeachNY Advisory Council, which was formed to offer solutions to address the
shortage. It projects that nationally an estimated 1.6 million teachers will be
needed in the next decade.
More Information
The shortage has many causes.
School budgets were slashed in
To comment:
[email protected] or at
http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion
the past decade, leading to
layoffs and fewer openings being
filled. Some teachers eligible for
retirement stayed on the job to
ride out the recession. Teachers
with certain specialities, such as
math and science, have been lured into better-paying private jobs. Meanwhile, the
grim employment prospects discouraged young people from entering the teaching
profession.
Now, with baby boomer teachers rushing to retirement in record numbers and the
healing economy enabling districts to add new positions, the pressure is on to find
more teachers and qualified substitutes. A solution will require a multifaceted
approach.
Certainly, America needs to elevate the stature of the teaching profession. In recent
years, teachers have been unfairly singled out for the drop in student performance
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus­opinion/article/Editorial­Quick­fix­can­t­solve­crisis­8399383.php
2/3
7/21/2016
Editorial: Quick fix can't solve crisis ­ Times Union
on achievement tests. Recognizing this, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and
State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia have pledged to encourage young
people to enter the teaching field.
The state also should expand creative certification programs that have
successfully helped people in other professions make teaching their second career.
Financial incentives will help too, including student loan forgiveness or bonus pay
for new teachers in exchange for a commitment to take difficult-to-fill openings in
inner city or rural schools.
The Regents' action will certainly help relieve the immediate crisis. But unless Gov.
Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers work with education leaders to make
teaching a more desirable and respected profession, more of our children may end
up in classrooms run by people unqualified to teach.
© 2016 Hearst Communications, Inc.
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus­opinion/article/Editorial­Quick­fix­can­t­solve­crisis­8399383.php
3/3