Developing World Class Schools and Graduates
As you celebrate this holiday season with friends and family think of those who will not be doing that. They are away from families protecting our right to celebrate and possibly sacrificing their bodies and possibly their lives.
Wishing you, your family and and other loved ones a very merry blessed Christmas and a happy HEALTHY New Year. To my Jewish friends, a happy Hanukkah.
There are about 3.6 million public school teachers working in secondary schools in 90,000 public schools districts across 50 states. Almost 500,000 are classified as math and science teachers.
A new analysis by Richard Ingersoll in the American Educational Research Journal (September 2019)tracked teacher workforce for 20 years and suggested that retaining our present educators is the problem not recruiting new teachers. “In the same year that (President) Bush called for recruiting 30,000 STEM teachers, we had 26,000 quit. That’s a terrible waste of talent. “Turnover of educators isn’t any higher for STEM subjects. For math teachers, the lack of classroom autonomy, weak professional development and student discipline are the primary reason that causes them to leave. Professional development and student discipline are the primary reasons that science teachers leave. Low salaries are consistently mentioned by both groups. The paper reports that “high poverty, high minority and urban public schools have the highest mathematics and science turnover levels. But it is poor working conditions not bad students that contribute to high mobility says Ingersoll. “Teachers aren’t fleeing poor kids. They are fleeing poor jobs.”
According to research, most new jobs in America will be in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject areas. America cannot produce high performing graduates in STEM subjects unless we have highly effective educators in school classrooms and front offices.
The results of the latest PISA test scores (2018) by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.(OECD) reported the United States scores in mathematics have gone down. We are now the 31st lowest/highest performing math country below Hungary but above Belarus and Malta. “Overall, America’s 15-year-olds scored slightly above students from peer nations in reading, but below the middle of the pack in mathematics (NY Times, 12/3/2019) and the gap between the high performing American students and the low performing is widening.
My new book, Who Will Teach The Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators (available from Amazon) proposes solutions to slow the educational exodus.
December 9, 2019
“Engaging, experienced educator”.
“Absolutely amazing presentation! The data, the research, the solutions!” D. Thomas, Teacher, OK
“Lots of facts to support topics. Thank you for addressing a topic that is often over-looked -the dropout rate of educators.”
“I’m grateful to hear someone talk about this issue with such passion and in support of teachers.” B. Moraja, Teacher, Colorado
“Franklin is both witty and quite enthusiastic and knowledgeable about what’s lacking in education and in our country.”
“Excellent presenter! He was informative and comical! He is well educated in his subject matter and he has presented it a lighthearted manner. Well done!” S. Bitz, Pathways Program Teacher, Alaska
“Thought provoking!” V. Tiblier, H.S. Principal, Ottawa, Canada
“Real life, no BS ideas and discussion of education.” E. Schalk, Director of Secondary Education, AK
“Franklin’s program is comprehensive and inclusive.” T Franklin, Coordinator, Early Childhood, Fort Myers, FL
“Great historical view of Teacher Shortage.” C. Craft, Academic Compliance
“Gives a sense of direction or improvement.”
“Very informative and information easy to understand.” Assistant Principal
“HIs statements about all levels of education are refreshing.” G. Westerberg, Teacher, Clovis, HS
“The presentation was stirring and pushes you out of a comfort minded. Improving the retention rate teachers can be worked in at every level.” Assistant Principal., Clovis NM
I give presentations at Chambers of Commerce, Rotaries, etc. Frequently, the business and political people at these meetings cite the cost of education.
Someone should explain to me why we measure the cost of education but not the cost of incarceration? According to the New York Times, inn 20113, NYS spent $11,072 in districts in the 10 percentile and $21,135 in districts in the 90th percentile. But the cost of incarceration in NYS in 2013 was $60,000. According to NewYorkupstate.com was $69,355 per prisoner, per year. or nearly 3 times more than the cost of education. The budget for NYS per year is $3,688,356,319. Research indicates that 80 percent of prisoners are school dropouts and the recidivism rate is 80 percent. So education is not expensive – ignorance is!
An article in Education Week, (December 3, 2019) written by Madeline Will, states that a new report from the Center for American Progress, shows enrollment in teacher-preparation programs has dropped by a third from 2010 to 2018. Some states are seeing steep declines of more than 50 percent. And the number of black and Hispanic teacher-candidates enrolled in teacher preparation dropped by a quarter over that eight-year time period. Nationally, there has been a 26.46% drop in African American enrollment in teacher preparation programs (2010-2018).
A national poll from the Center for American Progress found that 55 percent of teachers wouldn’t want their children to follow in their footsteps, and half say they’re so unhappy with their jobs that they have seriously considered leaving the profession. The same report found that there was a 28 percent decline in students completing teacher-preparation programs during this eight-year time period.
Special education programs saw a 14 percent decline, programs that prepared candidates to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics saw a 22 percent decline, and elementary education programs saw a 29 percent decline.
Only five states saw a growth in students enrolling in teacher preparation programs from 2010 to 2018: Utah, Arizona, Washington, Texas, and Nevada. Nine states””Oklahoma, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Illinois, Idaho, Indiana, New Mexico, and Rhode Island””have seen enrollment decline by 50 percent or more from 2010 to 2018. In the most severe example, Oklahoma’s teacher-preparation programs saw an 80 percent drop. Oklahoma had the steepest enrollment declines””a 91 percent decrease for men, and a 79 percent decrease for women. Oklahoma has struggled to recruit and retain teachers. Neighboring states like Texas have lured teachers over the border with significantly higher salaries. More than 2,000 emergency certified teachers were hired in Oklahoma this year””meaning they have a bachelor’s degree, but no background or course work in the content area they’re teaching.
Schools are incapable of producing high achieving graduates without having highly effective educators in classrooms and administration offices. My latest book, Who Will Teach The Children? Recruiting Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators not only addresses the problem but also provides solutions to the problem.
I am honored to be asked to deliver two workshops at the Educating Children of Color Summit on January 18, 2020 2 the Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO.
The first workshop will be based on my new book, Who Will Teach The Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators. The season workshop will be Engaging Families & Students – A Key To Educational Success.
Hope to see you there.
Are the age of America’s Schools Encouraging Teachers to Leave?
According to research, forty-four (44) percent of all classroom teachers leave within five years. They are leaving almost as quickly as Schools of Education are graduating them. How much of a role do poor working conditions contribute to the educational exodus? Could it be that teacher prefer not to work in buildings that are too old, non-air conditioned, have floors which are collapsing, have water pipes where the water is full of contaminants, are not properly heated?
According to the Educational Writers Association, “in 1989, nearly half of the school building in America were obsolete and contained environmental hazards. In President Clinton’s 1997 State of the Union Address, he stated, ” We cannot expect our children to raise themselves up in schools that are literally falling down”¦.This has now become a serious national concern.’
Data from the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), stated that in 1998, the average school building was built in 1956- 63 years ago. About 28 percent of the schools in the country were built before 1950 and 45 percent of all public schools were built between 1950 and 1969. The oldest schools are in the Northeast or Central regions of the country. America’s oldest schools serve a higher percentage of children living in poverty with children eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
My new book, Who Will Teach the Children? Recruiting, Retaining & Refreshing Highly Effective Educators addresses why teachers are leaving and proposes solutions to stop the educational exodus.