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/
Sweat to Inspire 