The Teacher Shortage Crisis
Even before the pandemic lock-downs, American teachers from sea to shining sea reported a critical shortage of teachers within their ranks, and have watched in horror at the crippling levels of greed, arrogance, apathy, and ignorance at every level of K-12 educational governance.While embattled teachers have continued to try in vain to draw attention to the issues, our leaders have failed to acknowledge the problems at all. But since covid, the nation’s teachers have borne witness to a break neck hastening pace of this downward spiral–and a total avoidance of a conversation from our leaders.
This a-political podcast, created and produced exclusively by teachers, gets into the nitty gritty details of why teachers are leaving the profession in droves, and uncovers huge contributing structural problems baked into the teaching profession which are not discussed or understood even within the K-12 educational world, which also explain why so much of what is done in K-12 is ineffective. These desperate, passionate, highly qualified teachers use this podcast series to insert teachers forcefully into the national conversation about the critical issues plaguing K-12 education, because no one else was letting them in–a fact which belies a central thesis about the roots of the problems discussed throughout the episodes. Listeners will be gripped by the reality that without substantial reforms which empower teachers to lead the work, the inevitable result is a collapse of our very ability to effectively self-govern–a process which they argue is already well underway.
Listen as they describe the problems in teacher pay, teacher preparation requirements, special education, climate and culture, reading instruction, the false promise of existing DEI based frameworks in K-12, and the problems inherent in outsourced canned curriculums. Become a part of the solution as they outline a framework to authentically fix these problems, which require all hands on deck from both inside and outside of K-12 education.
The Teacher Shortage Crisis
10. The Canned Curriculum Mess Part III: Candid Conversations
This episode of the Teacher Shortage Crisis Podcast features hosts Amanda, Jess, and Trina discussing Jess's reaction to a previous episode about the harmful impacts of adopting canned curriculum at the secondary level. The discussion delves into the differences between elementary and secondary education, teacher autonomy, the importance of early education, systemic issues related to gender and educational practices, the role of neurodivergence in teaching, and challenges with canned curriculums. The episode emphasizes the need for teacher involvement in policy-making and advocates for a more supportive, professional environment for educators. A call to action encourages listeners to join the movement to improve K-12 education and uphold democracy.
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:55 The Teacher Shortage Crisis
01:49 Jess's Reaction to the Curriculum Episode
04:21 Teacher Autonomy and Systemic Issues
06:13 Elementary vs. Secondary Education
10:21 The Role of Neurodivergence in Teaching
20:11 Challenges with Canned Curriculum
25:08 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Visit teachershortagecrisis.com to join the movement of teachers speaking up about the mess in K-12 Education in the United States.
www.teachershortagecrisis.com
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