A recent story on KCRG reported that one of the elementary schools in Cedar Rapids will move students from one school to another based on staff shortages. That means larger class sizes for the schools where the students will be dispersed. It also means a day that is about an hour and a half longer for students who will be transported from their neighborhood school to the alternative site. It wasn't too many days later and an unrelated story ran on the same channel reported on the steady growth of charter schools in Cedar Rapids. According to the district, this drop in enrollment is poised to cost $855,120 during the current budget year. Proponents of school choice claim that choice doesn't impact the public school because the student is no longer attending. After all, they no longer have the expense of educating that child. Those who make that argument either don't understand the concept of economies of scale; or simply don't care. Nevertheless, those families and students who attend Cedar River Academy at Taylor Elementary, or those schools who will be impacted by the larger class sizes certainly understand the concept.
Absent the loss in revenue, the obvious solution would be to hire more teachers. The trouble is we just don't have them in the pipeline. Fewer and fewer young people are going into the profession. In Iowa, there are currently 28 shortage areas for teachers. Twenty-Eight! Second on the list: elementary teacher. As I have mentioned many times, this used to be a problem in the more rural parts of the state. In fact, I used to claim that we were largely immune to the problem due to our geographic location. Being ten minutes from a regent university, which happens to be home of the largest teacher preparation program in the state has its benefits. But it wasn't too long before that advantage evaporated. Yes, it is very difficult for us to find teachers. It doesn't matter if they are elementary educators or of they are high school teachers. We have some roles that are currently being filled by quasi 'interim' educators. I hope we can remove those interim tags, but at the same time, as the saying goes, 'I'll keep my powder dry'. The fact that the second largest school district in the state is increasing class sizes by moving students away from their neighborhood school should be a warning to us all. After all, urban districts have always been traditionally more attractive: more amenities for young people and better pay with benefits.
So let's talk about pay. Legislation was passed last year that boosted the starting wage to $47,500 for the 2024-2025 school year. That will be followed up (presumably) by an additional infusion of capital to boost that starting wage to $50,000 for the 2025-2026 school year. That is great news and should be applauded! But even as great as that policy is, it doesn't solve the problem of teacher compensation. You see, there was no appropriation provided to deal with compaction. What is compaction? Well, let's say you had been on the job for 8 years and you were poised to make $50,000. (In our teacher pay schedule prior to this legislation, a teacher in their eighth year of experience would have earned a base pay of $50,160.) The appropriation was designed merely to raise the floor, not increase wages across the employment category. Imagine how the teacher felt who had been employed for almost a decade learns the brand new teacher across the hall is going to earn the same wage. Not much of a morale booster.
I would argue that had public schools not been chronically underfunded for the past decade and a half we wouldn't be in this position. Yet that isn't the only policy that has led to a teacher shortage. Many policy changes have had a cascading effect, making this field a bit less attractive. Quite frankly though, it isn't just those policies that are creating stress on the system. But perhaps these policies are creating some secondary, and even tertiary side effects? Some of it, quite sadly is how our educators are treated. What was once considered among the noblest of careers is now one where young people are choosing other careers, and those who are currently serving in our schools are headed for the exit early because they feel disrespected or are treated with open hostility. Yes, the work is harder and more costly now because of some of these policies. Yes, the work is more stressful because they are tired of having their authority challenged and talked down to day after day.
Case in point: The AEA reform legislation. Look, I get it. The AEA system was in need of reform. It has definitely been a source of frustration from time to time. If you ask any superintendent in the state, they are likely to hold the same sentiments, and probably could offer some solid suggestions that would not only improve the system, but save taxpayer money. That isn't at all what happened. In the haste to pass legislation, the proposed bill was rushed through both chambers and signed into law without a great deal of vetting and input from those who will be left to implement the legislation, or those who have benefited from those services. The result has been, well not great. The law came with a caveat that a task force would be convened to study the AEA system and report findings back to the General Assembly in time for the 2025 session. While it would have made much more sense to convene that committee prior to making any wholesale changes to the system, it did not. Further, questions about who is on the committee and if they have even met are fair questions.
These two policies (school choice and AEA reform) have been real body blows to our public school system. Add in chronic underfunding and it exacerbates the issue. At the federal level, there is serious discussion about shuttering the Department of Education. How are those policies or this public dialogue creating an environment where a young person feels optimistic about education as a career choice?
All of this trickles down to the local level, and as a result; well teachers and even building principals aren't treated all that well. Think about when you were a youngster and got in trouble in school. What were you most fearful of? For me, it was what was going to happen when I got home and had to explain to dad what had happened. Now that is far from the case. Instead, it's not what the child did: because they didn't do it, even when faced with video proof! In fact, we have had instances where there was an outright denial followed by a refusal to cooperate with disciplinary sanctions, and that was with a school administrator. A one off? Hardly. There are days when building principals go from one phone call with a parent screaming at them-to another. It's exhausting.
We can tell our educators that they matter, they are trusted and valued, and that we care about them. But instead of talking about it, let's show them.
