Posted on 11/24/2014 1:14:45 PM PST by MichCapCon
In late September, State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a press release that there was a “dramatic teacher shortage” causing large classroom sizes in Detroit Public Schools. Flanagan called on businesses, career professionals and the state Legislature to help.
A review of the number of teachers relative to the student enrollment in DPS, however, doesn’t paint a picture of a teacher shortage.
Detroit Public Schools has one classroom teacher for every 16.65 students, a ratio that is a little higher than the state average but lower than higher performing school districts.
Teacher-to-student ratios are not the same as class sizes, but it does shed light on the resources a school has to address staffing of classrooms.
In 2014-15, Detroit Public Schools has 2,836 classroom teachers and 47,238 students, or one teacher for every 16.65 students, according to documents received in a Freedom of Information Act request that were also verified by DPS spokesman Steven Wasko.
In 2013-14, DPS had 3,088 teachers and 49,870 students. Although the district shed 255 teachers since last school year, it also lost 2,632 students. The state average is one teacher for every 15.57 students.
That DPS teacher-to-student ratio is lower than Chandler Park Academy in Harper Woods, which had one teacher for every 19.8 students and Knapp Charter Academy in Grand Rapids, which had one teacher for every 18.3 students in 2013-14. Those two charters public schools are among the best performing schools in the state, according to the MDE’s own Top-To-Bottom rankings.
Other large districts in the state have larger ratios than DPS. Utica Community Schools has one teacher for every 19.1 students and Warren Consolidated Schools had one teacher for every 17.2 students in 2013-14.
“There are quality charter schools in the Detroit area with higher student-to-teacher ratios that are growing and posting better academic results,” said Audrey Spalding, education policy director at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “The number of teachers per student is less important than whether the district is managed effectively.”
The MDE press release also stated, “Flanagan was responding to a media story over the weekend that reported Detroit Public Schools (DPS) having over 100 teacher vacancies that are resulting in classroom sizes of up to 45-50 students.”
The Michigan Department of Education did not respond to a request for comment.
I remember in Econ 101 that FACT that it is impossible to have a “shortage” if government is not controlling prices.
In this case, the government is not paying enough to attract enough qualified applicants.
There is a price at which they can attract enough qualified people, a price they are so far unwilling to pay.
It seems they also Has a shortage of headline writer editors two.
No combat allowance?
Would YOU teach in Detroit?
It would scare me to death to teach there, or in Flint, or in Baltimore, or in any other Democrat ruled minority community. They would have to pay me as much as my life is worth. Maybe I am overreaching, and I do not understand what it is really like, but I would not feel safe.
I say minority but the fact is in Detroit I AM the minority and I have no doubt I would be run over like a steam roller.
Not while there are still unfilled positions in Bout
Funny thing is that Detroit families are opting for the charter schools.
What’s the problem?
The inner city kids only show up for classes once a week, anyway!
Housing is cheap.
Detroit? NSS!!
I suspect that is the real complaint, that they can’t get quality teachers.
Of course, I wouldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to go there.
That is exactly correct. But, it doesn't just mean Detroit. Many, if not most, of the public schools have no discipline. The teachers are there just to police and not teach. The teachers have no backing from the highly paid administrators.
All the new and progressive teaching programs aren't working, and won't work. The skill level of high school graduates is abysmal to such an extent that colleges, even junior colleges, have to offer remedial classes to just bring the freshmen up to basic college entry level of ability.
Plus, in my experience in hiring newly graduated high school students, I found they can't count accurately, they can't read an analog clock, they can't speak well, they can't write cursive and they have no general knowledge necessary to keep a job. And there is more.
Perhaps..., they should recruit from the Prison Guard Unions? Naaah..., Probably not..., the schools are far more dangerous and they are "GUN FREE ZONES"!
No amount of money could get me to teach school in Detroit.
“In 2014-15, Detroit Public Schools has 2,836 classroom teachers and 47,238 students, or one teacher for every 16.65 students”
I went to Catholic grammar school and there were 50 kids in every class! The nuns could TCB! lol
Why bother with schools, just open more prisons. Every 10th person can be a guard.
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