Month: June 2016

Educational Supply and Demand

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire
Supply-and-demand
From MarketBusinessnews.com

I studied supply and demand in middle school. Demand goes up, supplies shrink and the prices go up. Or Demand goes down, supplies stack up and the prices fall. Newscasts talk about supply and demand all the time. From gas price fluctuations to high demand job salaries: consumers hear about supply and demand on a regular basis. The basic principals of supply and demand apply to every avenue of our lives. SO how does it work in education?

Right now there is a teacher shortage! Urban schools are finding it hard to staff all of their teaching positions. Many district struggle just to find qualified applicants for teaching positions. Under normal supply and demand situations: teachers pay would go up because the supply of qualified teachers is falling. Education isn’t the norm. Legislative bodies across the USA are hoping to tap into a fresh supply of teachers. New laws are going into place to allow uncertified teachers into the classroom in hopes of staffing all teaching positions. Is this how it works in other career fields? Not enough licensed doctors or certified accountants so let just let anyone with a college degree do it. NO, in other fields corporations raise pay to attract more into the field.

Our schools need qualified teachers! The market can’t be adjusted by mindlessly drilling for more teachers everywhere. If college graduates wanted to be teachers, then they would have been. We know the supply and demand model well. It has been proven time and time again. Right now this model tells us to raise the pay for teachers to help fulfill the demand.

Tell our legislators to make it happen!

References:

Keeping Good Teachers ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104138/chapters/Responding-to-the-Teacher-Shortage.aspx

DPS Facing Surge of Mid Year teacher departures: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/11/26/dps-teachers-leaving/76311802/

 

 

Show up!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

showing up

The alarm goes off at 6:00 AM, Amy, my wife mumbles “Why are you getting up, it is the first week summer break?” My reply as I pop out of bed: “We have things to do!” After a quick shower and a cup of coffee, because the best part of waking up is coffee, I wake my three kids. Amy is slowly dragging through her morning routine to get to work, as our 3 kids slowly trickle down stairs. Grace asks why she needed to get up. “Well Griffin has basketball camp and you and Gavin, well you are 7 so you have to come along!”

As we arrive a basketball camp, I notice attendance down from previous years. The coach already is rethinking his time slot. “Last year we had twice as many players!” An 8 AM start is seen as tall order for many, the week after school starts.

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Titan Hoop Camp Photo by T Bloch

During the camp session, a few players trickled in 30 minutes to an hour late. As I looked at the sign in sheet more than 20 players who had paid failed to show up. When I asked a former student where his friends were, his quick reply was “bed!”  Griffin knows that we paid for camp, He committed to going so He goes no complains. We expect he tries his best and no complains. Luckily for us he understands if he commits to something, he gives 100% even if he doesn’t like it. Next time he won’t have to sign up if he doesn’t want to go.

Sadly many children today see their opportunities as optional. From sports to the classroom we have children who forget that the first step to success is showing up. It takes hard work and effort to accomplish anything in the world. Many of our youth feel they don’t have to show up and success will come their way. Adults need to make sure when our children commit to any activity that they show up, try their hardest and be positive. At the end of the first day of basketball camp, the coach told the players:

“You showed up, Step 1 in making the team. You gave it your all: Step 2 at making the team. NOW maintain those efforts and you will make the TEAM.”

Great message for all! Without showing up, we fail to grow, fail to learn and fail to make the team. Encourage our children to show up! It will make all the difference.

We don’t want our children to turn into the adults who never show up!