Katherine Stauch

VTfT II
Teacher Dropout Crisis

Teachers are the individuals that create the next leaders, the ones that educate the next

doctors, and the ones that shape the next philosophers. They are the people who truly have the

power to raise the next generation to be lifelong learners and genuine citizens. Teaching is also

the profession that is the least respected by modern society and the profession that is so

undervalued that talented adults entering the education field are encouraged to abandon.

Luckily, there are courageous individuals who are willing to endure the minimal benefits and

long hours, but how are those individuals expected to persevere in a community where they

arent even seen as valuable?

There are many reasons teachers are leaving the world of education, as explained by a

survey, administered by the Georgia Department of Education, given to many teachers

throughout Georgia who are quitting the profession within their first five years of employment.

According to Henry, an elementary school teacher, People become teachers knowing the pay is

low, but they do not expect to spend so much time doing what often amounts to meaningless

assessments (Henry 3). In the article, other teachers complain about the pressure to do more for

their students, even when their support and funding diminish each year. Educators also

commented on how new teachers arent properly prepared to manage every aspect of their first

classroom, how teachers are undervalued even within their own school, and how they are

unjustly controlled by officials that have never step foot in a classroom setting. (Owens 4) It was

most startling to read in the article that an elementary school teacher of over 25 years stated, I

love my time with my students, but I would never choose this path again. It is disheartening

that an unappreciative community can make someone with such a strong passion for education

burn out.
 Katherine Stauch
VTfT II
The everyday perception of a teacher needs to change. Young, driven students should be

encouraged to become an educator; however, this cannot become a reality if the field doesnt

change. Society needs to value the profession by listening to teachers concerns and actually

taking action to address those concerns. For example, the article discusses how in Georgia,

policy and curriculum guidelines are created by officials that have never taught in a classroom

environment. These decisions on what content should be taught and how students should be

tested need to be made by the people that know how children succeedteachers. Many

educators would be happier if they could simply teach their children, instead of worrying about

standardized testing and mandates by downtown officials. There should also be greater emphasis

on the preparation of rising educators. Simply earning a teaching certificate and completing

student teaching does not make one a successful teacher. It is the passion behind the profession

that should not be undervalued. Those who truly love to teach children should be encouraged to

do so by their peers, as well as their community.

To create the next generation of leaders, doctors, and philosophers, we must respect our

educators. First, society must see that teachers have the ability to educate, to care for, and to

influence the next generation of children. It is up to schools to create an environment where

educators are seen as valuable and where they can form relationships, teach their children, and

change the world around them.

 Katherine Stauch
VTfT II
Works Cited

Owens, Stephen J. Georgia's Teacher Dropout Crisis. Dec. 2015.