Diane Ravitch, a noted education expert, in a piece in Education Week, highlighted some of the changes taking place with regard to teacher attitudes with respect to job satisfaction and those who might leave the occupation. The results should be warning to all of us.
Ravitch has found that 59% of teachers were satisfied with their career in education in 2009 while that figure has dropped to 44% today. Of those who are likely to leave the occupation, just 17% thought would in 2009 while that number has jumped to 29% at this point in time.
These aren't Ravitch's numbers, they are the latest results compiled by the Met Life Survey of the American Teacher.
Ravitch points out that these trends coincide with some sad truths over the past couple of years.The past two years have seen funding cuts in education instituted by various levels of government. The result is larger class sizes, reductions in pay, cuts in student health services by provided by schools, higher insurance premium payments by teachers, cuts in art and music programs, reduction in staffing, and more.
What teacher would be happy to see these cuts? Any educator seeing these events is bound to be displeased. In fact, if a teacher wasn't upset with seeing such reductions something would be wrong.
These conditions are real and are taking place in plenty of areas across America. The fact that teachers are facing greater obstacles, in an already challenging position, is not in the best interest of students and educators.
Dick
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