Teachers have always played a huge impact on the structure of the world and society, tasked with the job of raising and mentoring others through all stages of life. However, despite the obvious importance of such a job, the world has started to see a decline in the rate of enrollment in teacher education programs, leading to a shortage of possible employees for schools. Starting around 2009 when a 35% enrollment decline occurred in the US, with a continuous pattern following through several more years. Eventually, a growth emerged over seven years, slowly increasing entries into the education field, yet falling again around 2022/2023 with a 16% decline. The lack of employees available for schools has led to necessary manipulations in the hiring process and requirements to fill missing positions and subjects. Schools, particularly elementary schools, have had to increase their usage of emergency permits, including provisional intern and short-term staff permits to hire individuals who have not finished, or even started, their teaching credentials. A desperate last attempt seen in countless districts to fill the necessary roles as soon as possible. The cause of the decline can be derived from multiple issues most teachers face on a daily basis. This includes pay, parents and kids, as well as the results of COVID-19. The role of an educator does not include the same access to high pay and potential raises most other jobs include, despite the importance of their role in society. Regardless of the low pay, many teachers, particularly those working in elementary and middle schools, are not required by their districts to pay for fun and engaging activities. Yet they have no other option in order to support and educate young children while fulfilling their job duties. From decorating classrooms to organizing field trips, teachers organize and pay for it out of the goodness of their hearts and love for their students. Oh, and the emptiness of their wallets. In addition, parents have recently increased outrageous demands of teachers and disagreements with teaching methods, especially over the last few years. Many parents have banded together, demanding an extreme level of control over classroom environments with a threatening nature. Due to the increased quality and convenience of technology, parents have increasingly relied on it as a (extremely questionable) method to raise their kids, leading to countless negative results that can affect their state in the classroom. Less involved and interactive children, as well as considerably decreased attention spans make students harder to teach. Teachers have also had to go through the COVID-19 pandemic, forced to create new, fun, ways to teach over glitchy video calls while looking at blank screens, a nearly impossible act if you ask me. Another result from COVID-19, was the increased control on teachers and their teaching methods as enforced by districts. Needless to say, the teacher shortage around the world must be faced and fixed in order to continue educating as many students and children as possible while continuing their positive impact on society.
