CommenTerry: Volume Fifteen | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: These posts, by Dr. Terry Stoops, and aptly titled CommonTerry, appears courtesy of our friends at the John Locke Foundation. A full account of Dr. Stoops's posts, or him mentioned as a credible source, are listed here in BCN.

N.C.'s real teacher recruitment and retention crisis

    The U.S. Department of Education has collected data on teacher shortage areas since the early 1990s. Last month, the agency published its latest report, "Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing 1990-1991 through 2014-2015."

    The list of teacher shortage areas for North Carolina public schools has been consistent through the years (See Facts and Stats below). In other words, the state has had (and has known about) a shortage of math, science, and special education teachers for a very long time.

    As the list indicates, the state addressed shortages in a handful of areas, such as Spanish and Theater, relatively quickly. The supply of teachers for elective subjects is seldom a concern. But persistent shortages of high school teachers in core subjects are another matter. As the demand for these teachers outpaces the supply, the intra- and interstate competition for math, science, and special education teachers intensifies. That is one reason why the John Locke Foundation has recommended (repeatedly) that legislators provide substantial pay supplements for outstanding teachers in hard-to-staff areas. As surprising as this may sound, we actually believe that teacher compensation should be based, at least in part, on actual labor market conditions.

    In addition, lawmakers should expand the teacher talent pool by removing unnecessary barriers to entry. In 2013, 6,155 students completed their teacher training at an institution of higher education in North Carolina, but the state's schools of education continue to graduate few teachers in high-demand areas.

    Appalachian State University, which has one of the largest schools of education in North Carolina, typifies the market-be-damned trend in teacher education. According to the federal Title II report, not one Appalachian student graduated from the university's physics education program in 2013. During the same school year, only one earth science education student graduated from the university's school of education. They managed to graduate three chemistry teachers that year, the same number who graduated from Appalachian's drama/dance teacher education program.

    I do not mean to pick on ASU. It was not the only college or university to graduate relatively few science teachers. UNC-Chapel Hill, Elon, and Wake Forest University eked out one physics teacher each. In fact, the "winner" was Western Carolina University, which produced two whole physics teachers that year.

    Of the 6,155 prospective teachers who graduated in 2013, colleges and university teacher education programs in North Carolina combined to produce five physics teachers (or .08 percent of the total)...and 553 social studies teachers (or 9 percent of the total). Someone should probably mention this disparity to those who fund and lead North Carolina's schools of education.

    When matters related to teacher compensation and turnover arise, the mainstream media, special interest groups, and teacher unions proclaim that all teachers are underpaid and all teacher turnover is bad. The compensation and turnover of math, science, and special education teachers, however, is a much more serious problem than their uninformed characterizations of the teacher labor market suggest.

    Facts and Stats

    Teacher Shortage Areas, North Carolina, 1990-1991 through 2014-2015

     1990-1991 and 1991-1992

    Chemistry (9-12)
    Physics (9-12)
    Spanish (9-12)
    Speech Impaired (K-12)

     1992-1993

    Chemistry (9-12)
    Latin (9-12)
    Mathematics (9-12)
    Physics (9-12)

    1993-1994

    Chemistry (9-12)
    Cross Categorical Disabled (K-12)
    Emotionally Handicapped (K-12)
    Latin (9-12)
    Learning Disabled (K-12)
    Physics (9-12)

     1994-1995

    Chemistry (9-12)
    Cross Categorical (K-12)
    Health Occupations (9-12)
    Learning Disabled (K-12)

     1995-1996

    Computer Education (K-12)
    Emotionally Handicapped (K-12)
    Foreign Language (K-12)
    Health Occupations (9-12)

     1996-1997

    Birth through Kindergarten Teachers
    Emotionally Handicapped (K-12)
    Health Occupations Education (Vocational)
    Latin (K-12)
    Reading (K-12)
    Theater (K-12)
    Trade and Industry (Vocational)

     1997-1998

    Behaviorally/Emotionally Handicapped
    Cross Categorical Handicapped
    Emotionally/Mentally Handicapped
    Severely/Profoundly Handicapped

     1998-1999 and 1999-2000

    Mathematics (6-12)

     2000-2001 and 2001-2002

    Behaviorally/Emotionally Disabled
    Cross Categorical Mildly Disabled
    Math (6-12)

     2002-2003 through 2004-2005

    Math (6-9)
    Science (6-9)
    Math (9-12)
    Science (9-12)

     2005-2006

    Mathematics (6-12)
    Science (9-12): Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, and Physics
    Special Education: General Curriculum

     2006-2007 through 2010-2011

    Mathematics (Grades 6-12)
    Science (Grades 6-9)
    Science (Grades 9-12): Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, and Physics
    Special Education: General Curriculum

     2011-2012

    Mathematics (Grades 6-12)
    Science (Grades 6-12)
    Special Education: General Curriculum

     2012-2013 and 2013-2014

    Mathematics (Grades 6 - 9 and Grades 9 - 12)
    Science (Grades 6 - 9 and Grades 9 - 12)
    Special Education: General Curriculum

     2014-2015

    Mathematics (Grades 9 - 12)
    Science (Grades 6 - 9 and Grades 9 - 12)
    Special Education: Adapted Curriculum and General Curriculum

    Acronym of the Week

    USED -- U.S. Department of Education

    Quote of the Week

    "The research on teacher labor markets is quite large and expanding; yet, as in most areas of education research, our knowledge is full of holes and only gets us a little ways towards identifying productive policy directions."

    - Susanna Loeb and Tara Beteille, "Teacher labor markets and teacher labor market research," in G. Duncan and J. Spillane (Eds.) Teacher Quality: Broadening and Deepening the Debate, 2008.


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