Survey: few men, minorities seek teaching careers

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 28, 2003 | Ben Feller

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The NEA report, the "Status of the American Public School Teacher," aims to help education groups shape their agendas and mold the country's image of teachers. Updated every five years, the report draws its latest findings from the 2000-01 school year. The NEA and others are pursuing ways to improve diversity, such as trying to improve college access for minorities and encouraging classroom aides to get teacher certifications.

WASHINGTON -- Know anyone having trouble finding a man? Add public school leaders to the list.

Only two out of 10 teachers in America's classrooms are men, the lowest figure in 40 years, according to a National Education Association survey. Just one in 10 teachers is a minority, another sign that teachers have far less diversity than the people they educate.

About half of students are male and almost 40 percent are minorities, according to government figures. The lopsided representation of whites and females in teaching is troubling, NEA President Reg Weaver said, because it denies students a range of role models.

So what makes teaching less attractive to men and minorities? A mix of factors, but mainly the fact that it's easier to earn more money with less stress in other fields, says the NEA, the nation's largest union with more than 2.7 million teachers and other members.

"It takes so many years to finally get a salary that is high enough to support a family," said Edward Kelley, a teacher at A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, N.C. A nationally board certified teacher with a master's degree, Kelley makes a salary of $65,000 in his 30th year.

"Young people are going to look at that and say, 'I want a house and a car, what's the fastest way to do it?' Teaching is not the way to do it, unfortunately," Kelley said.

The average contract salary for teachers in 2001 was $43,262.

Kelley, who spent years in Maine before starting in North Carolina this year, finds himself in a group with one of the smallest shares of men. Only 9 percent of elementary school teachers are men, and the Southeast has the lowest share of male teachers, 14 percent.

The NEA report, the "Status of the American Public School Teacher," aims to help education groups shape their agendas and mold the country's image of teachers. Updated every five years, the report draws its latest findings from the 2000-01 school year.

The NEA and others are pursuing ways to improve diversity, such as trying to improve college access for minorities and encouraging classroom aides to get teacher certifications.

Male teachers made up about one-third of the teaching force in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but their numbers slid through the 1990s and hit the low of 21 percent in 2001.

Whites have accounted for about 90 percent of all teachers for the past three decades, including in 2001. Six percent of teachers were black, a number on the decline.

Five percent of teachers said they were Hispanic.

Overall, students are most likely to be taught by a 15-year veteran with a growing workload and slightly eroding interest in staying in teaching, the work force portrait shows.

From the union's perspective, the findings show the effort teachers give to their jobs.

Teachers said they typically spent 50 hours a week on their duties and put up $443 of their own money to help students during the school year. Fifty-seven percent hold at least a master's degree, and 77 percent took courses through their school districts during the year.

Six in 10 teachers said they would choose teaching again if they could go back to their college days and start over, but that number dipped in 2001 after rising steadily since 1981.

Virginia Beauchamp is one of those who has started over with teaching. She returned to the classroom a few years ago after 25 years in teaching and nine more in private industry.

"I love the art of convincing and explaining. That's a big part of teaching," said Beauchamp, a social studies teacher at Nicholas Orem Middle School in Hyattsville, Md. "I enjoy seeing kids accomplish."

Teachers face rising expectations. Federal law requires that every teacher of a core academic subject must be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year. That includes a provision that teachers must prove their competence in every subject they teach.

The survey results, based on responses from a nationally representative sample of 1,467 teachers, have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

On the Internet: National Education Association: www.nea.org

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Teachers face rising expectations. Federal law requires that every teacher of a core academic subject must be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year. That includes a provision that teachers must prove their competence in every subject they teach.

To solve students' math problems, eucators go to school - Boosting teacher skills seen as key*** The report also recommends that colleges and universities boost their math requirements for education majors. Many schools require no more than a single math course for future teachers. ``It's a vicious cycle,'' Fortmann said. ``People don't learn math very well in school, they avoid math in college, and the cycle continues. What we're hoping to do here is break the cycle.'' ***

Pasadena teacher who assigned politically charged letter writing to resign*** Williams, a member of the teachers association and president of the Pasadena Educators Association, took the letters to Austin in March. Many of the students pleaded for legislators to spare field trips, textbooks and teacher salaries from the budget ax.***

"persistently dangerous" - School-safety rankings - or just black marks?*** At the heart of the discrepancy may well be a reluctance on the part of educators to report campus crime fully. A survey by the National Association of School Resource Officers found that 89 percent of school police believe crime is already underreported. "It's the scarlet letter in education today," says Mr. Trump. "Administrators have said to me privately that they would rather be academically failing than be a dangerous school."***

3 F's, they're out: Edison sees teacher shake-up*** While the district does not have access to the standardized test scores of individual teachers' students, it can review results by subject and grade, she said. Since reading scores fell at Edison -- only 3 percent of freshmen and 4 percent of seniors were classified at least proficient in 2003 -- they decided to shake up the English department.***

MOVED: Veteran Edison High School teachers, from left, Ta Shina Nelloms, Rebecca Calvert, Shawn DeNight, Terry Lewis, Meghan Hauptli and Kathy Rosenthal Humphrey have been involuntarily transferred to other schools. JOSHUA PREZANT/FOR THE HERALD

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Male teachers made up about one-third of the teaching force in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but their numbers slid through the 1990s and hit the low of 21 percent in 2001.

Your basic Sixties LIBERALS and anti-war activists. Now the Left runs education - or what parents are told is education but what in fact is, a LIBERAL indoctrination money pit.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Critics Call Local High School Course Un-American [Full Text] A new elective course in international affairs at Farmington Hills High School has stirred up national interest for its alleged un-American content, Local 4 reported.

The course was brought to light when cable's FOX News Channel aired a story Monday night about some local parents who were angered over the course's content.

According to the cable station's Web site, many of the class readings come from left-wing Web sites like Alternet.org, Indymedia.org, Progressive.org and War-times.org that apparently attack the administration of President George W. Bush. After FOX News aired the story, the Farmington school district began receiving nasty e-mails from outraged citizens across the country, Local 4 reported.

The district's superintendent, Dr. Robert Maxfield, believes the district was misrepresented in the cable station's report. Maxwell defends the new course, calling it fair and balanced.

"To say that we're somehow un-American for teaching kids to think for themselves, for teaching them to become savvy about what it means to be an American citizen in an increasingly complex world is sheer poppycock," said Maxfield.

But Maxfield admits that when the course was initially drafted, there were some concerns.

"(There were) concerns it may be seen as anti-Israeli; concerns it might be seen as pro-Palestinian," Maxwell said. "Of course, our job in a community like this where 85 different languages are spoken by our children is to be sure we balance world affairs as best we can."

Maxfield said the district brought in critics, consultants, professors from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, and people from the Anti-Defamation League to make sure the final course description was balanced.

A group of local parents banded together to try to persuade the school board to hold off the elective, but the school year had already officially begun and the class was on the roster, according to the FOX News Web site. The board approved the course by a four-to-three vote.

The cable station's Web site also reported that after numerous parental complaints, Pro-Bush materials, such as government Web sites like WhiteHouse.gov, were added to the class' reading list.

The Farmington school district has given all 130 students who chose to take the elective course the opportunity to transfer out, but so far no one has taken that option. [End]

[glory]

"It takes so many years to finally get a salary that is high enough to support a family," said Edward Kelley, a teacher at A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, N.C. A nationally board certified teacher with a master's degree, Kelley makes a salary of $65,000 in his 30th year.

_________________

Oh rubbish. many jobs make about as much as a starting teacher after a couple of years, even with a college degree--it's called "first job after college". As for this guy's salary, my husband's best friend teaches locally, has his masters and has been making what this guy does for about 5 years now. He made that kind of money about 10 years into his employment, but certainly was making a comfortable and livable wage for those first 10 years, enough so his wife has not had to work, his whole career as a teacher. Oh, and it helps having the summer off--I know he was able to supplement WHEN THEY NEEDED OR WANTED THE EXTRA MONEY during the summer(mostly wanted because his wife liked to shop).

[glory]

"To say that we're somehow un-American for teaching kids to think for themselves, for teaching them to become savvy about what it means to be an American citizen in an increasingly complex world is sheer poppycock," said Maxfield.
__________________

Nice code talk for teaching liberal ideas equals teaching the kids to think for themselves. Funny how conservative ideas are considered for followers only. I didn't become a conservative until AFTER I started think. It takes far more courage to be a conservative in a "complex" country full of Maxfield's than a liberal.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

What the NEA would lie? Shocking!! Simply shocking!

When will people stop swallowing anything put out by teachers' unions? It is the only field, I'm aware of, afforded a pass when it comes to not being seen as a self interest group. The LIBERAL media always frames everything they say or do as, "for the children."

[Lil'freeper]

I'm marveling at the picture. I'm not shocked, I know it's commonplace- but except for the gal in the upper right, those people are not suitably dressed for the classroom! Blue jeans? Flip flops? They probably complain about not getting any 'respect', too.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Nice code talk for teaching liberal ideas equals teaching the kids to think for themselves. Funny how conservative ideas are considered for followers only. I didn't become a conservative until AFTER I started think. It takes far more courage to be a conservative in a "complex" country full of Maxfield's than a liberal.

I caught a bit of banter between two disc jockeys yesterday. They were panning a magazine newly out on the stands that targets youth. It's aim is to introduce the Bible. From what I could understand it gives moral lessons and explains scripture in modern context. The DJ said it was "indoctrinating" teens. Now I just know if this had been a LIBERAL agenda, sex ed, environmentalism, etc., the term would have been "teaching" or "informing" or "preparing."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They probably complain about not getting any 'respect', too.

I'm sure they complain about a lot in the classroom. They're certainly not teaching the basics.

[knarf]

" .. because it denies students a range of role models."

When I started school in 1952 or 3 ... every teacher was a woman. They were all motherly or grandmotherly types (to my 4 1/2 yr. old eyes/mind), and the principal was a man.

I didn't come across my first male teacher until junior high school and he taught science.

I'm guessing that the role models the article is worried about are the vast minority of gay/lesbian/leftist type of person that would lock-step to the NEA.

With so many homeschoolers in America depleting the student rolls, those 'teachers' pictured are the last-ditch attempt to appear 'modern' and 'progressive' when in fact America would like to stop and stay on a more traditional level and not 'progress' at all.

Don't mis-understand me ... I refer to the 'progress' of the PC thought processes et al, not the progress of advancement in other sciences.

I rather enjoyed this article.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I believe if it is humanly possible, parents need to consider homeschooling. Competition is beginning to yank their chain.

Vouchers will help public schools - Fear loss of MONEY - But what of “for the children?”*** The study found that public schools whose students were eligible for vouchers made significantly larger test-score gains than other public schools in the state. Even public schools that had only one failing grade but faced the threat of vouchers if they failed again made exceptional improvements. Similar low-scoring schools that did not face the prospect of voucher competition, however, did not make similar gains. In Florida, vouchers have provided public schools with powerful incentives to improve. If schools don't improve, they stand to lose students - and the funding they generate - to other schools.***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CORRECTED LINK: Vouchers will help public schools - Fear loss of MONEY - But what of “for the children?”

[monocle]

The gender gap in politics may also explain why the public schools have an undue liberal bias.

[Ed_in_NJ]

One of the biggest reasons anyone would not become a teacher is the NEA. Just look at their agenda.

In NJ, they recently lowered the minimum GPA for new teachers to 2.5 (had been 2.75).

They seem to be recruiting left-leaning loser lesbians.

[tcostell]

"It takes so many years to finally get a salary that is high enough to support a family," said Edward Kelley, a teacher at A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, N.C.

This is BS. Average teacher salary in the public school in:

Yorktown NY.................$87,400.00

Putnam Valley NY.........$84,6000.00

Lakeland NY...................$79,500.00

.

In Putnam Valley, even the groundskeeper for the high school makes more than $80,000 per year and the football field is astro-turf.

I could go on and on, but I have a real job to do.

[bimbo]

Kelley makes a salary of $65,000 … $86,666 when prorated for a 12 month year.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Schools of education will take anyone. And after hours and hours of education theory, turn them into psyco-babble idiots. It helps to have them a bit inclined toward socialism at the onset but they'll get plenty of that instead of core subject courses.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bumps!

[ladylib]

Why would a guy who has gone through today's hostile public education system, where he was most likely treated as an aggressive, dangerous miscreant who must be drugged to insure compliance ever consider becoming a public school teacher?

[knarf]

" ... our job in a community like this where 85 different languages are spoken by our children is ... " .. to reduce the language of communication down to one ....ENGLISH!

The root to communication is ...

COMMON.