by: Zaneta Lowe – WREG News – Memphis
Click the link below to see the full report on WREG News:
https://wreg.com/video/future-educator-faces-challenges-amid-teacher-shortage/10971518
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A soon to be student teacher is heading to the classroom while Tennessee schools are facing teacher vacancies.
Mary Anderson is a senior at Mississippi State University majoring in secondary education.
Mary Anderson
“My first day of classes will be August 20th, and it’s the first time in there with the students,” Anderson told WREG.
Heading back to school this year takes on a new meaning as Anderson is set to start her
student teaching.
“I’ll start in there as an observation and learning, and just being an assist and then, slowly, I will start taking over responsibilities in the classroom and teaching, and trying to just get ready and prepped for when I graduate and I become a teacher,” said Anderson.
Anderson is the daughter of a veteran high school English teacher, but it was her own experience of serving as a counselor at Girls State that she discovered her passion and made the decision to pursue a career in education.
“I think it was just the connection, getting to know with them,” said Anderson.
She said, “That was just something that was really inspiring to watch, and I just knew that
was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”
However, teaching is a profession fewer young people are choosing.
“When I would tell people that’s what I was going into education, that was usually their first
reply,” said Anderson. “Well, there’s a lot of jobs and there’s a lot of need for it, so you won’t have to worry about finding one.”
J.C. Bowman is the CEO and Executive Director of the Professional Educators of Tennessee.
J.C. Bowman
He told WREG, “We are not recruiting the same amount of teachers that are leaving the field and let me say, I think it’s going to get worse, before it gets better.”
On August 3, leading into the first week of school for Memphis Shelby County Schools, the district had 330 vacant teacher positions.
The state’s largest district is far from alone, according to Bowman.
“Tennessee is above the national average on teacher vacancies. We’re at about 5.5% on the latest data the state provided, and the national average is about four percent,” said Bowman.
Bowman said subjects like special education, English as a second language and math are some of the hardest to fill.
He said he believes that he understands why parents would be concerned if teachers were not present in clasrooms teaching high level subjects.
According to the 2024 Tennessee Educator Survey, recruiting and retaining teachers is getting
harder.
Bowman said recruiting teachers with the ‘necessary qualifications’ for vacancies at their schools can be hard because of the working conditions educators are put through, where nearly half of high school administrators called it ‘very or extremely challenging.’
Making matters worse for communities like Memphis, the survey shows school leaders with
‘fewer economically disadvantaged students’ reported having a larger pool of licensed
applicants to choose from.
In other words, schools in wealthier neighborhoods have plenty of teachers to pick from, while
those in poorer communities don’t.
“We need to reward our teachers for staying in schools that are absolutely some of our hardest
to teach students,” said Bowman.
Bowman said if there is not long term teacher in a core class and your child is expected to perform a certain way on a standardized test to call the school, request a meeting with the principal and find out the plan to fill that position.
“I’ve been in schools in my observation that, I’ve seen where, like, kids are taking online classes
because they don’t have the teachers to teach that class,” said Anderson.
Anderson also said it’s not just the subject matter students are missing without teachers that it’s the guidance, encouragement and support that can often shape a young person’s life.
Lessons she is looking forward to having the privilege of providing.
“I’m a little nervous because this is just something new. But I’m really excited for what I get to
pour into these students’ lives and what I get to make an impact in,” said Anderson.
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