The challenges of recruiting and retaining quality teachers is the focus of the 92nd Arizona Town Hall being held April 27-30. in Prescott.
About 150 Arizona community leaders, including several from around the Valley, will participate in the “Who Will Teach Our Children?” forum which aims to propose solutions for improving Arizona's ability to attract the best educators.
Gov. Janet Napolitano and Arthur E. Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, will address Arizona Town Hall participants at noon on Monday, April 28. Levine is a past- president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Marc Tucker, founder, president and chief executive officer of the National Center on Education and the Economy, will speak Monday evening on the connections between educational policy and economic strength. Tucker created the first Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce and is a founder and vice chair of the board of directors of America's Choice.
The University of Arizona College of Education, under the leadership of Dean of Education Ron Marx and Professor Walter Doyle, prepared a detailed background report to prepare participants for substantive discussions and consensus-based policy recommendations.
After the conference, the Town Hall's recommendations will be available on its Web site on May 9. The recommendations will be combined with the background report into a final report and formally published in July.
Due to limited space, participation in discussion is by invitation only. However, attendance at the meal programs is open to the public (subject to pre-registration and availability.) For more information about the Arizona Town Hall, visit www.aztownhall.org or call 602-252-9600.
Lori Baker is mom to two daughters, 21 and 23 years old. She is
editor for the Valley and State section's Education and Environment pages in the Arizona Republic.
I'm sure that there are many
I'm sure that there are many others like me, who have been away from teaching, but -- older and wiser -- would like to return. It could be a big win for schools in that they would get more mature teachers who would start out close to the upper left-hand side of the salary scale.
I'm finding the cost prohibitive (between fees for fingerprints, tests, applications, and required coursework). I'm not in a position to quit working to go back to school full-time, let alone do another stint as a student teacher.
What about a fast-track for people who have completed education courses, attained licenses, and taught for, say, 5 years?
There are just so many
There are just so many drawbacks to being a teacher in Arizona. Not-the- Mama brings up one thing - the costs for tests, applications and coursework. I also know that teachers pay for some of their supplies and expenses out of their own pockets. But, most importantly, teachers' salaries are so low - I believe some of the lowest in the nation. How can we attract and keep a good workforce of teachers if we can't pay them enough?
With regards to the fast track - I believe ASU has several fast track programs - though I'm not sure if they have one for returning teachers or others in your situation.
Lattemom is the mother of three energetic kids ages 6, 8 & 11 and a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com.
Thanks, lattemom: There are
Thanks, lattemom:
There are plenty of fast-track programs (and financial help) for people who are willing to leave, for example, IT careers to teach. I've been working in IT, but because I have already completed an education program, got licenses in Colorado and Arizona, and taught in public schools (almost 20 years ago), I don't qualify.
I would literally have to retake the entire complement of education courses -- and even student-teach again (no pay, one semester). I'm not saying that there haven't been great gains in research, theory, and practice. I'd be happy to accept any challenge to explain, in essay format, how education has evolved and what best practices have emerged.
I'm not inclined to sit through essentially the same courses in order to jump through the same hoops that I did as a 20 year-old, with 20 year-olds. I'm not too good to do that, but I don't see that doing that benefits anyone.
My latest calculation is that I'd have to pony up $8,000 to $10,000 -- and lose $16,000 to $20,000 in income -- over at least two years to be eligible to earn less than $30,000 the first year out. At, $30,000, digging out from $60,000 -- at middle age -- I can't afford to be a teacher.
Lori, I think that what I would hope you would bring into the conference is that there are lots of potentially great teachers who can't afford to become teachers.