LogFAQs > #959895044

Zeus posted...

From the fact I've known many people who tried to go into education within the past decade but couldn't find jobs so they went into other things, and before that a few people who wound up teaching overseas because they couldn't find jobs teaching in the US. Not to mention the countless people I met in the years before that who, again, couldn't find jobs so they went into other fields. This includes people who struggled to find teaching work in the few years (who finally had luck). And, you know, having friends and relatives who either still teach or recently left teaching.

Unless this is something that literally just happened in the past year. However, there's usually a lot of people who wanted to get in who couldn't that it's hard to imagine they'd ever really be short.

Same for education at the college level.

This was true 5-10 years ago (and some before that). There was an "expected" teacher shortage because many people were going to be of retirement age. Many didn't retire because of the crash in 2008/2009 compounded with step freezes (meaning no raises), and if you went to school to be a teacher it was really, really difficult to find a job unless you had a couple of specific subject areas (math, for example). Even if you did find a job, you were often locked in at the starting pay because of a pay freeze in the 00's and 10's.

When Covid hit - most of those who didn't retire finally said screw it and retired. Additionally, those who were lucky enough to start teaching in the late 90's/early 2000's "bought" years toward retirement. Many of them are now eligible or close (my wife can retire in about 4 years) and they are saying screw it as well. Anyone with 25 years of experience is gone, and those within striking distance will be gone in the next few months/years.

Most schools lost their most experienced teachers. This has compounded the employment issue because many substitute teachers are retired teachers - and they aren't coming back to do that anymore (who can blame them?)

There is zero incentive to go into teaching anymore. Nearly every school you can get a teaching degree at costs as much per year as what you would make in your first year of teaching. That puts you 4 years in the hole from the start. Your experience doesn't transfer - if you move to a new district you start all over at step 1 pay. The benefits used to be worth it - but now are largely gone. There used to be a pension - there isn't any more. You would have to be insane to go into education at this point in time. It is an upside-down profession.