School and Community Summer 2024

Encouraging Future Teachers While current teachers should serve as advocates for the profession to those considering entering the field, when asked on a scale of 0-10 how likely they would be to encourage someone to be a teacher, 70% of respondents said a 6 or lower, with 25% selecting 0-2.

Why did you give that answer? 10 "I have always wanted to teach. I had teachers and my own parents believed in me and fought for me. I want to do the same for as many kids as I can." 9 "It truly depends on if you are in it for the right reasons. It takes a whole different level of commitment for you and your family." 8 "It is still a much needed career but the levels of stress and responsibility have increases so much that it may not be worth it for the majority of people." 7 "If someone is passionate or excited about it, I would never dissuade them. But I will let them know the realities, challenges, and threats of the current public school system." 6 "I love my job and I'm hopeful for the future of education. However, teaching seems to get harder every year and with the lack of adequate compensation it is difficult to recommend this as a viable career." 5 "For some people it truly is a calling and they should be in the classroom. The students NEED them. However, it is a tough profession with little tangible rewards and not for the faint of heart." 4 "It's hard to recommend a vocation that isn't respected, isn't paid a living wage, is underfunded, lacks resources & personnel, unrealistic workload/hours expected, and is treated poorly by the public and government officials." 3 "The pay is not good. My heart is full and my bank account is empty. I advise students to find a job they love that also pays well." 2 "I have worked in multiple industries and a career in education is definitely the most difficult for the pay. The physical, emotional, and mental stress that educators manage is immense." 1 "Why should I encourage people to enter a field where they will be treated with disrespect, low pay, and high student loans?" 0 "It is so much harder than it used to be. We are expected to do more and more each year, but our compensation doesn't reflect the workload."

22 | SUMMER 2024 S&C