LESSONS. I’M JANELLE HALL. TODAY WE’RE TURNING OUR FOCUS TO THE CLASSROOM AND THE TEACHER SHORTAGE GRIPPING DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, 45% OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE OPERATING WITH OUT OF FULL TEACHING STAFF. EXPERTS SAY THE SHORTAGE WAS AN EXISTING ISSUE INTENSIFIED BY THE PANDEMIC. AND TODAY, WE’RE LEARNING THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. HERE IN PENNSYLVANIA RIGHT NOW, THE EDUCATION FIELD IS DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT EQUATION. TEN YEARS AGO, THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA. CERTIFIED 20,000 TEACHERS. THAT YEAR, LAST YEAR, WE CERTIFIED JUST OVER 6100 FEWER PEOPLE WANT TO BE TEACHERS, AND MANY WHO ENTER THE INDUSTRY AREN’T STAYING. THE ISSUE, DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE REASONS. TODAY I’M ANNOUNCING THAT WE WILL KEEP SCHOOL BUILDINGS CLOSED. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC TURNED KITCHEN TABLES INTO CLASSROOMS AND EXACERBATED EXISTING CHALLENGES. TEACHERS FACE. ALSO, HOW IS THIS STILL HAPPENING? HOW ARE OUR CHILDREN STILL DYING? AND WHY ARE WE FAILING THEM? FROM NASHVILLE TO UVALDE, PARKLAND TO NEWTOWN. SAFETY CONCERNS AFTER SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ARE LEADING EDUCATORS TO QUESTION THE PROFESSION. AND AS INFLATION IMPACTS US ALL, TEACHER SALARIES AREN’T CUTTING IT FOR EVERYONE. YOU HAVE TO PAY TEACHERS MORE. THEY ARE CERTAINLY WORTH IT. THIS MORNING, WE HEAR FROM THE HEAD OF PITTSBURGH’S FEDERATION OF TEACHERS. PLUS. FIRST DAY BACK FROM SPRING BREAK. MORALE IS LOW, SO COME WITH ME TO ASK MY COWORKERS WHAT BRINGS THEM. TEACHER JOY. A TEACHER USING HER PLATFORM TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE AND A SUPERINTEND TO WORKING TO TURN THE SHORTAGE AROUND. THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS DRIVING THE CURRENT TEACHER SHORTAGE. THE PRESIDENT OF PITTSBURGH’S FEDERATION OF TEACHERS SAYS IT IS TIME FOR OFFICIALS TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND FAST. JOINING ME NOW IS NINO ESPOSITO, VICE GUY THAT SHE’S THE PRESIDENT OF THE PITTSBURGH FEDERATION OF TEACHERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. I’M HAPPY TO BE HERE. KNOW THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC. WE HAVE SO MANY PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OBVIOUSLY KEY MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THIS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A TEACHER SHORTAGE. TELL ME WHAT WE’RE SEEING ACROSS THE NATION IN PENNSYLVANIA AND HERE IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA. ABSOLUTELY. WELL, ACTUALLY, IN PITTSBURGH, IN PENNSYLVANIA, WE’VE BEEN LUCKIER THAN MOST STATES WHO HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM ON TEACHER SHORTAGES AND GOING TO DRASTIC MEASURES TO GET TEACHERS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. BECAUSE IN PENNSYLVANIA, WE’RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MANY IN OUR PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER ED, WE’VE PUT OUT SO MANY TEACHERS EVERY YEAR, OR AT LEAST WE HAVE IN THE PAST. NOW, AS WE KNOW, A NUMBER OF THEM ARE CONSOLIDATED BECAUSE LESS AND LESS STUDENTS ARE GOING INTO EDUCATION. AND EVEN NATIONWIDE, THE NUMBER OF OF PEOPLE GOING INTO EDUCATION AND GETTING TEACHING CERTIFICATES HAS BEEN SLASHED IN HALF. WE KNOW SOME ARE, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY YOU THINK SOME AREN’T GOING IN TO THE EDUCATION FIELD AT THIS POINT? UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S A VERY LONG LIST. I THINK STUDENTS HAVE SO MANY, AND I’M DELIGHTED THAT THEY DO HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND THEY DO. THEY LOOK AT OTHER FIELDS THAT ARE BETTER PAID. UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU LOOK AT SURVEYS, JUST THE PEOPLE, THE PERCEPTION OF TEACHING HAS GONE DOWN. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT THINK IT IS A PRETTY TEDIOUS FIELD. THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN SLASHED AND HOW THE PERCEPTION IS AND STUDENTS SEE THAT THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO GO INTO BETTER PAYING FIELDS WITHOUT THE HIGH ACCOUNTABILITY TEACHER OF VOICE. A LOT OF IT HAS BECOME VERY TOP DOWN WITH ALL OF THE POLITICS THAT HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED, THE TEACHER VOICE AND A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN LOST, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUALITY AND EVEN WHAT CAN BE READ IN YOUR SCHOOL. TEACHERS HAVE SO MUCH PUT ON THEM EVERY DAY, AND I THINK KIDS, STUDENTS IN SCHOOL SEE THAT. DO I WANT TO GO INTO THIS? I SEE MY I LOVE MY TEACHER, BUT WOW, THEY HAVE A LOT PUT ON THEM. AND I THINK THAT IS MAKING PEOPLE DECIDE. AND THE PANDEMIC REALLY, I THINK EXAMS DEBATED THAT ISSUE. TEACHERS WERE HEROIC IN THEIR WORK. I MEAN, I SAW IT FIRSTHAND. I WAS NEVER MORE PROUD TO BE A TEACHER OR TO WATCH OUR TEACHERS GOING FIND THE KIDS AND MAKING SURE THEY WERE GETTING EDUCATION, MOVING FROM ONE PLATFORM TO ANOTHER. I MEAN, IT WAS IT WAS BRAIN NUMBING HOW MUCH WAS GOING ON DURING THE PANDEMIC PERIOD. AND THAT’S, I THINK, MADE THINGS WORSE. AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM, WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS. GOVERNOR SHAPIRO HAS A PLAN FOR A 20 $500 INCENTIVE OVER A FEW YEARS TO TRY TO HELP SOME OF THESE KIDS COMING OUT OF COLLEGES BE INCENTIVIZED TO GET INTO EDUCATION. DO YOU THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD HELP? I THINK IT’S A GREAT START. I DO COMMEND HIM. HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO WORK ON THAT AND HE JUMPED IN AND HE IS WORKING ON TEACHER SHORTAGES. I THINK IT’S A GREAT START. BUT IT HAS TO BE MORE. I’VE LOOKED OVER I LOOKED OVER THE 50 STATES. SO WHAT THEY’RE ALL DOING, WHO A LOT OF THEM ARE AHEAD OF US BECAUSE THEY’VE HAD THE ISSUE AND WE HAVE TO DO MORE. WE HAVE TO INCENTIVIZE TEACHING. WE HAVE TO AND I DON’T KNOW. WE HAVE TO BRING UP THE PRESTIGE OF TEACHING. A LOT OF THAT WILL BE WITH THE MONEY. YOU HAVE TO PAY TEACHERS MORE. THEY ARE CERTAINLY WORTH IT. BUT I KNOW MANY STATES ARE HELPING TEACHERS WITH THEIR MORTGAGES, NEW TEACHERS RAISING THE THE BEGINNING TEACHER SALARY IS A MUST. AND I KNOW OUR PRESIDENT IS SAYING HE’D LIKE IT RAISED TO 60,000 STARTING SALARY. I COMMEND HIM AND SAY WE HAVE TO DO THAT RIGHT AWAY. SO THERE’S IT’S A WONDERFUL START. I COMMEND GOVERNOR SHAPIRO, BUT THERE IS A LOT MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND ADDRESSED. WE HAVE TO ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DANGERS. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE IT’S IT’S VERY HARD TO SEE THE NEWS OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING. AND WHAT WE’VE SEEN RECENTLY HAS BEEN VERY HARD. OH, TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT’S BEEN LIKE FOR THE TEACHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, APS LUTELY TEACHING SCHOOLS SHOULD. AND I’VE ALWAYS HOPEFULLY BEEN PLACES OF JOY. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS TEACHING YOU LOVED GOING TO WORK. IT WAS A PLACE OF JOY WHERE KIDS WOULD RUN IN. PARENTS WANTED TO SEND THEIR STUDENTS THERE. THAT’S HOW EVERY DAY SHOULD BE IN A SCHOOL. NOW. AND IT WAS EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC. I HOPE WE’RE GETTING BACK TO SOME KIND OF NORMALCY NOW. BUT WHAT YOU’RE HEARING SINCE COLUMBINE, WE’VE HAD NEARLY 400 SCHOOLS, SHOOTINGS. IT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED. I MEAN, I HOPE COLUMBINE NEVER HAPPENED. IT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED. THEN WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS AS A SOCIETY, AS A BIGGER SOCIETY, TO STOP THIS. SCHOOLS HAVE TO BE PLACES OF JOY AND LEARNING. KIDS HAVE TO WANT TO LEARN. THEY HAVE TO WANT TO SEE TEACHERS DOING GREAT THINGS. AND THEY KNOW THEY’RE VALUED FOR IT. NOW, WHEN YOU’RE AFRAID TO GO TO SCHOOL THAT KNOWS NO WAY. I JUST READ A STATISTIC. 348,000 AMERICAN STUDENTS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE IN THEIR SCHOOL, IN AND AROUND THEIR SCHOOL. THAT APPALLS ME. IT APPALLS ME AS AN EDUCATOR, AS A PARENT, AND AS A HUMAN BEING. YOU CAN SEE YOUR EMOTIONAL. YEAH, I AM. IT’S NO NO WAY THAT OUR COUNTRY SHOULD BE ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN. AND IT MAKES ME SO ANGRY. TEN YEARS AFTER SANDY HOOK, WHAT I SEE HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS, TEACHERS ARE MADE MORE AND MORE ACCOUNTABLE. NO WONDER THERE’S A TEACHER SHORTAGE. AND PLUS, YOU’RE NOT SAFE IN YOUR SCHOOLS. AND I DO KNOW A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DONE A LOT TO MAKE THAT. I’M NOT CASTING ASPERSIONS AT THE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THEY’VE DONE A LOT TO MAKE OUR STUDENTS OUR SCHOOLS SAFER. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES SURROUNDING THE TEACHER SHORTAGE. THAT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. YOU WANT TO BE SAFE WHEN YOU GO TO WORK. STILL AHEAD NOW WITH THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, WE’RE FIGHTING TO GET EDUCATORS INTO THE PROFESSION. A LESSON ON RESILIENCE. A LOCAL TEACHER TALKS, STRUGGLES AND SOLUTION. WELCOME BACK TO A LESSONS WE’VE LEARNED THERE ARE CONS TO BEING A TEACHER, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE PROS AS WELL. ONE LOCAL TEACHER IS HELPING BOOST MORALE WHILE PUSHING FOR CHANGE. ONE TICKTOCK AT A TIME. JOINING US NOW IS JESS PORTER. SHE IS A THIRD GRADE TEACHER IN THE NORTH HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT. JESS, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. THANK YOU. PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW YOU FROM YOUR JOB AS A THIRD GRADE TEACHER, BUT PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE NEVER MET YOU MAY KNOW YOU BY YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. YOU HAVE A TIK TOK ACCOUNT CALLED FREE THINKING TEACHER. SO TELL US ABOUT THAT. AND WHAT’S SOME OF THE GOALS THAT YOU’VE HAD FOR THIS ACCOUNT? WHAT’S BEEN SOME OF THE FEEDBACK? YEAH, SO I CREATED THE ACCOUNT ACCOUNT DURING COVID. AND MY GOAL WITH IT WAS TO SPREAD TEACHER JOY WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF NEGATIVITY AROUND THE PROFESSION FOR VALID REASONS. BUT THERE IS A LOT OF MAGIC IN TEACHING. AND SO THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE. AND MY PLATFORM HAS SORT OF ORGANICALLY STARTED TO GROW. AND NOW I’M SORT OF BREAKING INTO AN ADVOCACY ROLE WITH IT AS WELL AND TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND STAFF. SO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TEACHER SHORTAGES, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, IT WAS HARD TO GET A JOB IN PENNSYLVANIA. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU GOT INTO THIS PROFESSION? AND TELL US WHAT YOU SAW COMPARED TO WHAT WE’RE SEEING NOW. RIGHT. THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR TEACHING. SO WHEN I WAS GOING INTO THE JOB HUNT, IT WAS REALLY HARD TO FIND A JOB. AND THE STIGMA AROUND EDUCATION WAS THAT YOU WERE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE TO ANOTHER STATE. SO I APPLIED TO OVER 15 SCHOOLS. I DID 30 INTERVIEWS AND ENDED UP AT NORTH HILLS, WHICH I REALLY LOVE MY POSITION THERE. BUT IT WAS A CHALLENGE. WHEREAS NOW WITH THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, WE’RE FIGHTING TO GET EDUCATORS INTO THE PROFESSION. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE YOU TALK ABOUT WANTING TO ADVOCATE? WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND? BECAUSE MANY OF THE HEADLINES TALK ABOUT THE SHORTAGE AND WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS THAT WE’RE SEEING IN THE CLASSROOM, NOT ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS BUT ALSO FOR THE STAFF? YEAH, SOME OF THE STRUGGLES I THINK TEACHERS ARE FACING ARE LARGER CLASS SIZES. OUR SUPPORT STAFF AREN’T PAID ENOUGH, SO WE ARE FIGHTING TO GET SUPPORT STAFF TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AREN’T GOING INTO THE PROFESSION, I THINK, BECAUSE THEY SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND FROM CURRENT TEACHERS THAT THEY AREN’T PAID ENOUGH. RIGHT. AND THAT THEY CAN FIND JOBS IN OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY MIGHT MAKE WHAT THEY DESERVE. DO YOU THINK IT’S YOU YOU TALKED ABOUT COVID. IS IT BECAUSE OF OTHER PROFESSIONS, NOT ONLY WITH THE PAY, BUT IS THE FLEXIBILITY? WE’VE ALSO HEARD, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT THE THREATS. SADLY, THAT WE’VE SEEN RECENTLY WITH SCHOOL VIOLENCE. WHAT IF YOU HAD TO LIST THREE MAIN THINGS BESIDES PAY THAT YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT? WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE OTHER THINGS MAYBE PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM GETTING INTO THIS? YEAH, I THINK IT IS A SCARY TIME TO GO INTO EDUCATION. WE SAW WHAT JUST HAPPENED IN NASHVILLE AND IN OTHER SCHOOLS RECENTLY. SO I THINK THE THREAT IS A BIG PART OF THE WORKLOAD AS WELL. YOU KNOW, WORKING OUTSIDE OF CONTRACT HOURS, YOU TALK ABOUT WITH COVID A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REMOTE POSITIONS WHERE THERE’S MORE FLEXIBILITY. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PIECE OF IT AS WELL. I DON’T WANT TO ONLY HIGHLIGHT THE NEGATIVE BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD. RIGHT? YOU’RE HELPING SO MANY KIDS AND SO MANY FAMILIES. GIVE US YOUR PITCH TO SOMEONE WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING GETTING INTO EDUCATION AND WHAT’S YOUR HOPE? YEAH. WITH THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE? YEAH, I THINK AND I THINK TEACHERS GO INTO EDUCATION BECAUSE THEY LOVE CHILDREN. THEY WANT TO CREATE THE SAFE PLACE, THE SAFE CLASSROOM WHERE THEY CAN LEARN AND GROW. AND IT IS A MAGICAL JOB. AND I THINK WORKING IN A GOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A BIG PIECE OF THAT. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING INTO EDUCATION TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT SCHOOLS TO WORK AT, YOU KNOW, PLACE, THAT IS REALLY GOING TO VALUE THEM AND THEIR GOALS IN THE CLASSROOM. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE BIG OVERALL PICTURE. WHAT IS YOUR CONCERN WITH REGARD TO NOT MANY, NOT AS MANY PEOPLE SIGNING UP WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE KIDS IN THEIR EDUCATION. HOW DOES IT TRICKLE DOWN TO THEM? YEAH, I THINK WITH LESS PEOPLE GOING INTO EDUCATION, IT AFFECTS OUR CLASS SIZES. SO OUR CLASS SIZES ARE GETTING LARGER. WE’RE NOT HAVING AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY WITH TAKING DAYS OFF AS WELL BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE SUB COVERAGE. WE DON’T OR OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS ARE GETTING PULLED TO COVER TEACHING POSITIONS. SO THEN WE LOSE THAT PARAPROFESSIONAL SUPPORT. SO IT’S TRICKLING DOWN AND IN SO MANY AREAS, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT ABOUT. RIGHT. SO YOU TALKED ABOUT STARTING THIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM DURING COVID. TELL ME HOW YOUR JOB HAS CHANGED POST-COVID WITH THE PANDEMIC. YEAH, JUST WITH TEACHING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM. YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO CONNECT VIRTUALLY. RIGHT. HAVE THINGS GONE BACK TO THE WAY THEY WERE PRE-PANDEMIC OR DID YOU HAVE YOU HAD TO ADJUST IN DIFFERENT WAYS? AND I FEEL LIKE THIS YEAR WE’RE FINALLY ENTERING THAT SENSE OF NORMALCY AGAIN. TEACHING REMOTE WAS THE HARDEST THING I THINK WE’VE EVER DONE FOR ALL OF US, FOR PARENTS, FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR STUDENTS, FOR TEACHERS, FOR ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS IT WAS SUCH A CHALLENGE. AND WE DID OUR VERY BEST. AND I THINK COMING BACK, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE ACADEMICS. I THINK I’VE SEEN MORE OF A SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL STRUGGLE WITH STUDENTS. SO SORT OF TEACHING THEM THE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE HOW TO TURN AND TALK TO EACH OTHER, HOW TO RAISE THEIR HAND OR OR LINE UP OR HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY WEREN’T HAVING THROUGH A SCREEN. YOU’RE RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU’RE AT THE THIRD GRADE LEVEL, AND THAT’S A YEAR OR TWO OF THESE KIDS LIVES, RIGHT? SO MY STUDENTS, THEY WERE IN KINDERGARTEN WHEN COVID HAD HAPPENED. SO THIS IS THEIR FIRST YEAR, YOU KNOW, SITTING OUR DESKS IN GROUPS AGAIN. LAST YEAR WE WERE STILL IN ROWS AND MASKS MOST OF THE YEAR. SO THIS IS THEIR FIRST NORMAL YEAR. AND I FEEL LUCKY THAT I GET TO GIVE THEM A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. STILL AHEAD, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, TEACHING, RETAINING TEACHERS WITH REASONS TO STAY. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BUTLER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT LAYS OUT HIS STRATEGY TO SOLVE THE SHORTAGE. WELCOME BACK TO TO LESSONS SOME DISTRICTS ARE DOING MORE THAN OTHERS TO KEEP TEACHERS ON THEIR PAYROLL. WE SAT DOWN WITH ONE LOCAL SUPERINTENDENT TO LEARN WHAT EDUCATION LEADERS SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW. JOINING ME NOW IS DR. BRIAN WHITE, WHO IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BUTLER AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. I’M GLAD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. AS WE TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING IN EDUCATION RIGHT NOW WITH THE STAFFING SHORTAGES, WE KNOW YOU BEGAN AS A TEACHER. AND THERE WAS A POINT WHERE IT WAS HARD TO GET A JOB IN PENNSYLVANIA. VERY HARD. AND NOW WE’RE SEEING THE STRUGGLES. WHAT DO YOU SEEING WITH REGARD TO THE HIRING AND THE STAFFING, SPECIFICALLY IN YOUR DISTRICT AND ACROSS THE STATE? SO THERE DEFINITELY ARE FEWER CANDIDATES AVAILABLE FOR JOBS. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. WE’VE NOT HIT A POINT THAT WE CAN’T FILL PERMANENT TEACHING POSITION. SOMETIMES IT’S TAKEN US LONGER. WE’RE DEFINITELY SEEING FEWER APPLICANTS. WHERE WE REALLY STRUGGLE WAS THE AREAS WE TOOK FOR GRANTED BEFORE PERMANENT SUBS, DAY TO DAY SUBSTITUTES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT THE OTHER AREA THAT’S BEEN A REAL, REAL STRUGGLE IS IF YOU LOOK AT EDUCATION AS ALMOST LIKE AN ECOSYSTEM. WE WERE SO WELL OFF WITH THE NUMBER OF CERTIFIED TEACHERS AVAILABLE THAT A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAD CERTIFIED TEACHERS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS THAT SOMETIMES DON’T DO WELL IN A REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOL OR SCHOOL SETTING. AND A LOT OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE SCHOOL SETTINGS DON’T HAVE THE TEACHERS TO SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS NOW. SO NOW WE HAVE MANY STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT TRADITIONALLY WEREN’T IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO IT CREATES A DISRUPTION IN A LOT OF WAYS. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS PART OF THE PROBLEM? AND AND AND THE SOLUTION? WELL, I THINK THERE’S TWO ENDS OF THE PROBLEM. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT FOLKS NOT GOING INTO TEACHING. BUT FIRST, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, TEACHING. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT’S A COMPLICATED ANSWER BECAUSE NO TWO PEOPLE MAY HAVE THE EXACT SAME ANSWER, BUT SOME COMMON THEMES AND WE USE THE WORD MORALE, BUT I THINK IT’S DEEPER THAN THAT. I THINK IT REALLY GETS DOWN TO PRIDE AND AND REALLY FEELING LIKE YOU’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. BUT 25 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A BOOK BY PARKER PALMER CALLED THE COURAGE TO TEACH. AND IT REALLY SPELLED OUT THE THOUGHT ARTICULATED GOING INTO TEACHING AS A VOCATION, NOT A JOB. IF YOU GO INTO VOCATION, YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. IT’S VERY, VERY TOUGH TO GO BACK EVERY DAY TO THE SAME THING. AND I THINK SOME FOLKS REALLY ARE NOT FINDING PRIDE IN WHAT THEY’RE DOING BECAUSE THEY’RE CONFRONTING CHALLENGES THAT THEY REALLY ARE NOT PREPARED FOR. WE’RE SEEING BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WITH STUDENTS THAT WE HAVEN’T HAD BEFORE. AND I THINK MOST OF OUR TEACHERS WERE TRAINED TO TEACH ACADEMICS TO STUDENTS IN INSTRUCTION AROUND CONTENT. NOW, WE’RE EXPECTING THEM TO REALLY HELP RESOLVE A LOT OF WORLD ISSUES THAT THE CHILDREN ARE WALKING INTO SCHOOL WITH. AND I THINK IT’S A REALLY CHALLENGING TASK FOR THEM TO DO. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE’VE HEARD ABOUT IS SAFETY ACROSS THE BOARD. I MEAN, SADLY, WE’VE SEEN WHAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN SCHOOLS. HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU YOU REALLY HAVE YOUR HAND ON A LOT OF THE KEY ISSUES. THEY DON’T FEAR MAKING CHANGE, BUT CHANGE CAUSES STRESS TO. AND YOU’RE RIGHT. I MEAN, SAFETY IS AN ENORMOUS ISSUE AND IT WEIGHS A LOT ON ALL SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST TEACHERS. YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING, AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL YEAR DURING THE SUMMER, ONE OF OUR LOCAL CHURCHES IN BUTLER INVITED ME TO COME TO THEIR SERVICE A WEEK BEFORE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS VERY NICE FOR THEM TO PRAY WITH THEM AND TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEY ASKED ME BEFORE FOR A PRE MEETING, WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR CONGREGATION TO PRAY FOR? AND I ASKED THEM, IF YOU PLAY FOR THE SAFETY AND WELLNESS OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF BECAUSE IT’S EVERYONE’S NIGHTMARE. WE ALL WANT TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR KIDS, YOU KNOW, FEEL SAFE. IT’S HARD TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR KIDS. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT ALL CONTRIBUTES TO, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU EXCITE PEOPLE TO COME INTO THIS FIELD AND BECOME A TEACHER, BECOMES SOMEONE THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE’S LIFE. AND WE REALLY HAVE TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE THAT REALLY SPEAK ABOUT THIS IS A VOCATION. YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE WHEN YOU TURN TO A CLASS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD’S LIFE, THAT’S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN MANY OTHER JOBS THAT HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY AND A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR UPWARD MOBILITY. THAT’S NOT TEACHING, BUT TEACHING CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. DO YOU THINK THAT WE CAN SEE THAT CHANGE AND HOW? I THINK WE CAN. YOU KNOW, IT’S INTERESTING THE ROLES OF SUPER INTENDANT. YOU READ A LOT OF INCIDENT REPORTS, YOU READ A LOT OF DISABILITY REPORTS, YOU READ A LOT OF SUMMARY INFORMATION. SO WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE ROOM THAT OTHERS WOULDN’T KNOW. AND ONE OF THE MOST TRYING TO SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT WORD, GRATIFYING MOMENTS IS WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM AND SEE A STAFF MEMBER DOING SOMETHING INCREDIBLE WITH A CHILD THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS SO MUCH ADVERSITY IN THEIR LIFE. BUT THEY’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T SHOW UP IN A TEST SCORE, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE ON THEIR FACES AND THAT CHANGES THEIR LIFE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE STATISTIC WHEN IT COMES TO APPLICANTS WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN TO TRY TO TEACH? SURE. SO, I MEAN, THERE’S A COUPLE A COUPLE OF WAYS TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. OVERALL, I THINK ONE OF THE GRAND NUMBERS THAT SORT OF SCARY IS THE PENNSYLVANIA PART OF EDUCATION SHARED THAT THEY ARE ISSUING MORE EMERGENCY TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS THAN TRADITIONAL TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS. THAT’S STUNNING. I THINK AT ONE POINT THE STATE INDICATED THEY WERE ISSUED 18,000 TEACHING CERTIFICATE, AND I THINK THAT NUMBER’S NEAR FIVE OR 6000 NOW. SO THAT’S A DRAMATIC DROP. AND I THINK FOR US LOCALLY, WE HAVE SEEN AS OUR CANDIDATE POOL GETS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND NOT EVERY TEACHING CANDIDATE IS A RIGHT MATCH FOR EACH ASSIGNMENT. EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT THEY APPLY TO. THERE’S PROBABLY PLACE FOR EVERYONE, BUT IT’S NOT EVERYONE’S NOT READY FOR EVERY SPOT. AND SO WE HAVE SEEN OUR CANDIDATE POOLS GET SMALLER, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS OF LIKE SCIENCE OR LANGUAGE, SPECIAL EDUCATION. WE’RE NOT SEEING THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES AVAILABLE TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS. AND SO THE APPLICANT POOL IS MUCH SMALLER. HOW DO YOU TRY TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT SOME OF THESE NEW TEACHERS TO RETAIN THEM? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK NEW TEACHERS, IN PARTICULAR, ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN PENNSYLVANIA, HAVE TO HAVE WHAT’S CALLED AN INDUCTION PROGRAM THAT’S REQUIRED BY THE STATE. AND WE HAVE A DEDUCTION PROGRAM TO HELP SUPPORT AND MENTOR THOSE NEW TEACHERS. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, RETAINING NEW TEACHERS IS TO HAVE THEM WITH MENTORS THAT ARE REALLY STRONG TEACHERS THEMSELVES AND GOOD LISTENERS TO HELP THEM PROCESS WHAT THEY’RE GOING THROUGH. I THINK THE OTHER PIECE, IT’S ALSO VERY POWERFUL AND HELPFUL IS, YOU KNOW, MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE THE TEACHERS UNION AND THEN WE HAVE ONE IN BUTLER. LIKE MANY, AND FINDING TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS, TRY TO ADDRESS THEM AND COME UP MUTUAL SOLUTIONS. I THINK IT’S BEEN REALLY PRETTY POWERFUL FOR US WHEN WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND TALK TO ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES. BUT REALLY, THEY CENTER ON WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND HOW CAN OUR TEACHERS BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. YOU’RE WATCHING TO LISTEN. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK. WELCOME BACK TO WTA LESSONS. WHETHER YOU LIVE IN ONE OF PITTSBURGH’S NEIGHBORHOODS OR ANY SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. TELL US WHAT’S WRONG AND WHAT’S RIGHT IN YOUR AREA SO WE CAN LISTEN AND THEN REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE. WELCOME BACK TO WTA LESSONS. WHETHER YOU LIVE IN ONE OF PITTSBURGH’S NEIGHBORHOODS OR ANY SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. TELL US WHAT’S WRONG AND WHAT’S RIGHT IN YOUR AREA SO WE CAN LISTEN AND THEN REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE CHANGES. YOU CAN SEND US AN EMAIL TO LISTENERS AT HEARST DOT COM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND HAVE A GOOD WEEK.