Social discussion of CS in K-12

["Reese, George Clifford" <reese AT illinois.edu>]

I am actually one who does not believe that this is at-root a money issue. It is working conditions more generally. I’m reminded of the discussion some of the Kenwood teachers and I had with Deborah Meier last spring. She said,

                I strongly believe that if adults aren't interested in what they're doing, it's not likely the kids will be...  So I want kids to be exposed to the kind of adults that they might want to be, because they're doing interesting things and they're excited and they have an adult life and an adult life that is interesting.  And we wanted the kids to know how decisions were made in the school rather than keeping that mysterious.  So that they would see their teacher as a decision maker and not as someone who has to say too often, “Don't blame me, I didn't decide this.”

 

We'd like [for them to] say, “Blame me if you want, but we decided this.”  And - and we'd like that with parents, too. 

 

Pay is a part of that, of course. People have to be able to live. But it’s so much more. We want to put the adults in front of kids that we hope kids and their parents will see as responsible, caring, thoughtful members of the democracy that kids can look to and say, “It wouldn’t be so bad to be like them.” Football coaches are… playing a different game.

 

George

 

 

 

From: Charles Schultz [mailto:sacrophyte AT gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2016 5:31 PM
To: Reese, George Clifford
Cc: ctrl-shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctrl-Shift] FW: [IMTE] Teacher Shortage in Illinois

 

What if we paid teachers like Big Ten football coaches, and Big Ten football coaches like teachers? I wonder what would happen....

 

On Mon, Jan 11, 2016 at 3:53 PM, Reese, George Clifford <reese AT illinois.edu> wrote:

Is this news to anyone?

George

 

From: imte-bounces+reese=illinois.edu AT lists.mste.illinois.edu [mailto:imte-bounces+reese=illinois.edu AT lists.mste.illinois.edu] On Behalf Of Jerry Becker
Sent: Monday, January 11, 2016 3:48 PM
To: JERRY-P-BECKER-ICT-L AT LISTSERV.SIU.EDU
Subject: [IMTE] Teacher Shortage in Illinois

 

*************************************

From 12 KFVS Heartland News [Cape Girardeau, MO], Monday, January 11, 2016. See

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/30933692/school-administrators-report-teacher-shortage-in-il - Our thanks to Kevin Wise for bringing this piece to our attention.

*************************************

School administrators report teacher shortage in IL

 

Written by Heartland News

 

(KFVS) - Administrators say they are finding it harder and harder to get qualified teachers into Illinois classroom.

More than half of Illinois school districts (60 percent) responding to a recent survey say they're having trouble filling teaching positions. Three-quarters say they're seeing fewer qualified candidates than in previous years.
    
It found rural school districts in central and northwest Illinois are having the toughest time finding qualified teachers.

Staffing shortages are particularly problematic for secondary schools with 80 percent of high school districts and 87 percent of unit school district noticing fewer quality candidates applying for positions.
    
Superintendents say Illinois' budget problems and the possibility of reduced public-pension benefits have likely dissuaded applicants.
    
Sixteen percent of responding districts reported canceling programs or classes due to teacher shortages. Special education, math and science were among the hardest hit.

 

************************************************

-- 

Jerry P. Becker
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
College of Education and Human Services
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
625 Wham Drive  /  MC 4610
Carbondale, Illinois  62901

_______________________________________________
Ctrl-Shift mailing list
Ctrl-Shift AT lists.mste.illinois.edu
https://lists.mste.illinois.edu/listinfo/ctrl-shift

 

--

Charles Schultz