Shortage leads to hiring less qualified teachers

Expanding classrooms has led to an influx of teachers without proper credentials in many states, including Oklahoma.

According to the New York Times, school districts in areas such as Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Oklahoma City and Providence, Rhode Island, are struggling with a shortage of math, science and special education teachers. This has caused schools to have trouble finding the teachers they need, eventually settling on individuals with little credentials and classroom experience.

Associate Professor of Education Allison Cassady said she had received phone calls from principals asking if they could hire graduating students.

“It’s a good thing that they need teachers right now because it will be easier for me to find a job, but it’s also a bad thing because we need highly qualified teachers for those kids,” senior Rachel Allen said.

According to an article in the Tulsa World, Oklahoma has received 526 requests for emergency teaching certificates since July. The certificates allow those who have not completed basic higher education and training to start teaching right away.

“A lot of our students are having to consider going to other states to make enough money to live comfortably, pay off school debt and save a little,” Cassady said. “The state of Oklahoma is just not able to provide enough in the way of teacher compensation to be favorable and to be attractive to our graduates.”

Professor of Education Darin Martin said staying in Oklahoma for a teaching job could have negative effects on students.

“They may be working with some other teachers [who] don’t have the full training that they do,” Martin said. “They may be authority certified and not as prepared to be effective teachers like our students are.”

Senior Cody Smith said having teachers without certification in schools shows how other people view the profession.

“I feel like it’s an indication that people look at teaching as kind of a fallback career,” Smith said. “People go into the workforce with an idea that they’re going to be able to succeed in whatever career that they chose, and when that doesn’t happen they will look at it and say, ‘Well I guess I can always go teach.’”

Smith said the teaching problems in Oklahoma would cause graduating students to make a choice between location and salary.

“You’re going to want to go someplace else where you’ll be compensated for your knowledge, for your preparation,” Smith said. “If you have a passion for it, then I don’t think anything’s going to stop you from going into teaching.”

Cassady said another problem is that student numbers are increasing while the number of teachers is decreasing, resulting in teachers not being able to give students enough one-on-one time.

“I had a student go into a classroom with 27 kindergarteners – 27 five-year-olds,” Cassady said. “There’s not enough time in the day to sit down with each individual child and monitor how that student is being successful and where their needs are.”

One of the reasons for teachers not being paid enough is because of Oklahoma taxes.

“Education is taking a pretty big hit,” Martin said.

Cassady said she wants students to be able to live comfortably once they graduate.

“It is my hope and prayer that some priorities at the state level will be checked and that teacher pay will increase,” Cassady said. “The future of the country, the future of the state, the future of the city, can not go on successfully without strong education and people backing that with being strong, well-educated, well-prepared and well-paid,  well-compensated teachers.”

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