Contact: Chris Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
480-731-8503

February 20, 2001

Where Have All the Teachers Gone? Education in Crisis

A public forum, sponsored by the Maricopa Community Colleges, on March 6 will address issues related to the teacher shortage, discuss the recognition of as teaching an honorable profession and share information about current initiatives and information about the Teacher Education Partnership Commission.

Greater Phoenix, Az - Over 700 business, education and community leaders have been invited to attend the community forum, "Where Have All the Teachers Gone? Education in Crisis." The forum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the La Sala Ballroom of Arizona State University West. The Teacher Education Partnership Commission, established by the Maricopa Community Colleges last fall, is presenting the forum.

The forum will address four major issues: the K-12 teacher shortage; teacher recruitment and retention; respect for teaching as a profession; current initiatives and programs as well as information on the Teacher Education Partnership Commission. Ideas will be solicited from forum participants on the issues of teacher recruitment, preparation and retention.

Top educators throughout the Valley will discuss the pre-K-12 teacher shortage, share information on current initiatives and lead the participants in discussion toward creating solutions, strategies and partnerships. Presenters include: Chancellor Dr. Fred Gaskin, Maricopa Community Colleges; Dr. Elaine Maimon, Provost, Arizona State University West; Pete Turner, Superintendent, Liberty School District and Co-chair of the Commission; Dr. David Schwalm, Vice Provost and Dean of ASU East; Dr. Russell Jackson, Superintendent of the Roosevelt School District; John Mulcahy, Arizona's Teacher of the Year; and Dr. Anna Solley, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Development and Co-chair of the Commission. The Grand Canyon Readers' Theatre will also be giving a presentation. Participants will have the opportunity to share their ideas in small group settings,

Chancellor Fred Gaskin organized the Teacher Education Partnership last fall. Dr. Gaskin, recognizing that education is experiencing a major crisis, believed that the Maricopa Community Colleges should be proactive in helping alleviate the crisis in Maricopa County. Dr. Gaskin said, "I firmly believe that the Teacher Education Partnership Commission composed of thirty-two educators and representatives from government, business and industry, will be able to address major issues affecting the education of our youth and work together in establishing strategies that will combat the education crisis in Arizona."

Dr. Gaskin recently met with Dr. Rod Paige, Secretary of Education, at an American Association of Community Colleges gathering in Washington, DC. "Dr. Paige praised the development of the Teacher Education Partnership Commission and encouraged Maricopa Community Colleges as well as all community colleges to assume a leadership role in the preparation of teachers," Dr. Gaskin said.

Under the leadership of Dr. Solley and Pete Turner, the Commission has been investigating the reasons for the shortage and developing strategies to alleviate the shortage and elevate the teaching profession. Dr. Solley said "Commission members understand that we are definitely facing a current teacher shortage, and that it is not going to get any better unless we take positive actions now. We all realize that without high-quality teachers in our classrooms, elementary and high school students will not meet the high standards set for them. We live in a knowledge-based economy, and it has become increasingly apparent that the teaching profession must offer competitive salaries and outstanding opportunities for professional advancement. Unless we do more to improve the rewards of a teaching career, we run the risk of shortchanging our youth and our country far into the future. Commission members believe that the educational development of our children from pre-kindergarten through high school should be undeniably the ultimate priority of all of us, not just educational institutions. Thus, we are all committed to developing solutions and strategies that will resolve the education crisis."

The Commission plans to use the information gathered at the forum in developing programs and activities to address the recruitment, preparation and retention of teachers and to plan future community forums. Anyone interested in attending this initial community forum, "Where Have All the Teachers Gone? Education in Crisis" may call the office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Development, Maricopa Community Colleges, at 480-731-8101.

The Maricopa County Community College District is composed of 10 community colleges, several satellite campuses, skill centers and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu.

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Additional Facts:

  • More than 30% of beginning teachers leave within the first five years of teaching. (Linda Darling-Hammond, Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching.1997.)
  • About 1 in 5 of all new teachers leave the profession in the first 3 years of teaching. (National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) 2000 Progress Through the Teacher Pipeline)
  • According to a 1994-1995 survey of teachers who left the field, 26% said they did so because they were dissatisfied with teaching or seeking another career. (NCES, American Teachers: Profile of a Profession., 1997)
  • Currently the average age of teachers is 44 - many will retire during the next 20 years. (NCES)
  • The national average salary for a beginning teacher is $26,639 compared to a beginning engineer's salary of $44,362. (1999 - NCES). Arizona's beginning salary for teachers for the same period was $26,163. (American Federation of Teachers - AFT)
  • The 1998 - 1999 average salary for 2.8 million teachers is a mere $40,574, tens of thousands of dollars less per year than their peers in other professions. (Survey & Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends, 1999 - AFT) In Arizona, the average salary for Arizona's 42,032 teachers was $34,582. (AFT)
  • The typical American school district currently allocates only about 1% of its total budget for improving the abilities of its staff. (Sparks and Hirsch: A National Plan for Improving Professional Development, 1999.)
  • Nationwide, only 2/3 of districts require newly hired teachers to hold at least a college minor in the field to be taught, along with full certification and preparation from a state-approved institution. ((Linda Darling-Hammond, Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching.1997.)
  • Student enrollment is expected to reach 64.3 million by the year 2007 in the U.S. The size of the teaching force is projected to exceed 3.3 million. (NCES, 1997, Projections of Education Statistics to 2007.)
  • Conservative estimates indicate that 2 million new teachers are needed in the decade between 1997-2007. (Linda Darling-Hammond, Doing What Matters Most: Investing in Quality Teaching.1997.)

Categories of Those Invited to Participate in the Forum:

  • Arizona Community College State Board members and staff
  • Arizona Board of Regents staff
  • Maricopa Governing Board members
  • University presidents and deans of education
  • Maricopa Community Colleges presidents and deans
  • School superintendents
  • Maricopa County Supervisors
  • Legislators in Maricopa County
  • Arizona Department of Education staff
  • Maricopa County Schools staff
  • Foundation representatives
  • Education Associations (AFA, AEA)
  • Education faculty
  • High school and college counselors
  • Education students
  • Elementary and high school teachers
  • Special interest groups (Valle de Sol, Chicanos Por La Causa, etc.)
  • Business and industry leaders (Greater Phoenix Economic Council,
  • Greater Phoenix Leadership)
  • Chambers of Commerce directors
  • Teacher Education Partnership Commission members
  • AMEPAC members
  • Charter and private school representatives
  • Media (newspaper, TV)
  • Community members who requested an invitation as a result of the
  • newspaper articles
  • Mayors, city council members, and city managers

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March 13, 2002