Education K-12 and the Shortage of Teachers

Education K-12 and the Shortage of Teachers
1. Introduction: Policy Problem
In South Carolina State, the share of educators quitting their posts per annum (6,500 in number, in the year 2016) is much higher as compared to that of teacher-program graduates available to occupy those vacant posts (1,700, for the year 2016). The state’s teacher-training enrollment has been dwindling at four percent, averagely, a year. From 2009 to 2014, a thirty-five percent drop was witnessed in teacher education enrollment, to 451,000 from 691,000. This represents a decline of nearly 240,000 graduates in 2014 from the 2009 figures (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond & Carver-Thomas, 2016). The state’s dearth of qualified educators, particularly in rural, impoverished areas and within the disciplines of science and mathematics, has grown so acute that long-term economic growth as well as education quality has suffered statewide (The Citadel, 2017). In this paper, the State of South Carolina will be compared against Rhode Island and Florida with regard to K-12 educator shortage, difference in educator-shortage outcomes and decisions on the basis of political culture, public opinion, and partisan balance, and the most effective policy change alternative for South Carolina.
1.1. History
Educator shortage is no new occurrence; a majority of states in the nation have been reporting instances of shortage since nearly the past three decades. However, the issue has intensified of late with the teaching profession challenged by the problems of inadequate salaries resulting in decreased morale, unjust assessment techniques, high-stakes examination prerequisites, due-process rights being attacked, and scarce resources, to name a few (Strauss, 2017). An analysis of a vast research pool on educator retention and recruitment gives rise to the following 5 key factors and associated policies that impact an educator’s decision of entering, remaining in, or quitting their jobs; (1) Overall compensation, including basic pay, (2) Entry and preparation expenses, (3) Fresh recruits’ support and induction (4) Hiring and employee management, and (5) Work conditions, which include school leadership, accountability systems, collective decision-making and collaboration between professionals, and learning and teaching resources (Podolsky et al., 2016; Strauss, 2017). At South Carolina State level as well as the federal level, one will find an absence of an explicit policy to deal with the issue of educator shortage.
1.2. Recent policy
On 18th August, 2017, South Carolinian educational sector stakeholders met up and put forward recommendations directed at the state’s higher education commission and education department to be implemented as countermeasures for addressing the state’s educator shortage issue (Daniel et al., 2017). These included; (1) Provision of speedy pilot initiative approval enabling conditional educator certification, and subsequent full credentialing following years of working as an educator and after having demonstrated success and teaching efficacy according to Praxis subject evaluation, (2) Working with the state legislator and governor for appreciably increasing funds for Call Me Mister, Teaching Fellows, and similar evidence-based initiatives, (3) Development of a strong message effectively outlining requirements, (4) Development of several certification pathways, (5) Addressing institutional climate, and (6) Addressing educator compensation (Daniel et al., 2017). No recent federal policy effort has been made with respect to addressing this issue, perhaps owing to the fact that a majority of education-connected programs are local or state level programs.
1.3. Significance of the problem
The state’s dearth of qualified educators has grown so acute that long-term economic growth as well as education quality has suffered statewide. Teacher-training college enrollment decreases have aggravated the issue (Podolsky et al., 2016).
1.4. Additional information for robust analysis
Current as well as old empirical studies and anecdotes reveal educator dearth differences among the states of Florida, Rhode Island and South Carolina (Dee & Goldhaber, 2016). The studies notably suggest that the issue of a lack of educators is generally more acute in schools for rural communities, the economically-disadvantaged, and minority populations.
2. Comparative analysis of the states of South Carolina, Florida, and Rhose Island
a. Political culture
South Carolina’s political culture appears to be largely traditionalistic, with its agricultural society (thanks to African slaves) resulting in an aristocracy that facilitated the development of such a culture marked by a power hierarchy (Mercantini, 2007). Likewise, Florida’s culture is also traditionalistic in nature. But Rhode Island’s political culture is individualistic in nature, perceiving the government to be a mechanism aimed at dealing with issues which matter to citizens and at achieving individual objectives (Elazar, 1972).
b. Local governments
South Carolinian local governments are both special- (e.g., school districts) and general- purpose (municipalities and counties) in nature (Pierce & Thomas, 2000). Floridian local governments are of 3 kinds: counties, special districts and municipalities. The former elects a commissioner board for formulating county laws and running the county’s government. Further, towns and cities establish governing bodies and the state institutes special districts and municipal governments for governing areas which may incorporate two or more counties. Rhode Island possesses seventy-five special districts, thirty-one townships, and eight municipalities.
c. Structure of state legislatures
All 3 states’ legislatures comprise of an upper Senate and a lower House of Representatives (Fiorina, 1994).
d. State judicial systems
The unified judicial structure of South Carolina State comprises of magistrates courts, family courts, circuit courts and, as the highest-ranked court of appeals – a supreme court. Meanwhile, the Floridian court system encompasses a Supreme Court, county courts, district appellate courts, and circuit courts. Lastly, Rhode Island’s judicial structure comprises its Supreme Court, as well as trial courts (superior court, family court, district court, traffic tribunal, family court, and employee compensation court) (Burnham, 2016).
e. Geographic areas (urban/rural states)
South Carolina State has the following 6 physical regions: Coastal Zone, Blue Ridge area, Inner and Outer Coastal Plains, Sandhills, and Piedmont. Meanwhile, Florida is sometimes divided as follows: Uplands, Atlantic Coastal Plain, and East Gulf Coastal Plain (Rumley & Minghi, 2014). In contrast to the South Carolinian State, Rhode Island State is largely comprised of woodland; southern lowlands and western and northern rolling hills, with the following geographic regions: the northwestern Eastern New England Upland and eastern and southern Coastal Lowland.
f. Gubernatorial (governor) powers
South Carolina’s gubernatorial powers include governor tenure, veto power, appointment power and budget-making authority. Florida State has also outlined governor responsibilities and powers, including military Commander-in-Chief, budget-making authority, the authority of granting freedom, and hiring and firing power. The Rhode Island governor’s powers are akin to the South Carolinian governor’s powers.
g. Citizen initiatives
South Carolina State prohibits statewide referendums or initiatives, though it empowers citizens to introduce and approve of ordinances. According to a 1999 supreme court ruling (Joytime Distributors v. State of South Carolina), the state’s legislature wasn’t authorized to place decrees for citizen voting (Hedge, 2018). As of 1968, the Floridian constitution authorized citizen amendment of the constitution through initiative. However, it forbids veto referendum and statutory initiatives. Floridian elected authorities have somewhat disliked this initiative process, frequently attempting a curtailment of citizen lawmaking. Rhode Island State constituted one among the lone four Union states where referendum and initiative was entirely blocked by state legislature for local as well as state governments, in 1917. Rhode Island legislature disregarded citizens’ 1996 vote for an advisory statewide question permitting initiative process (Schmidt, 1989).
h. Analysis and comparison of state referendums
According to US federal law, national referendums where the masses can vote on a matter are disallowed. But Amendment 21 is probably akin to a national referendum, since it demands state ratification via a referendum. The Amendment was rejected by the South Carolinian government prior to 5th December, thus the vote wasn’t unanimous at all. However, Rhode Island as well as Florida supported its ratification following the widespread acknowledgement that prohibition, initiated via Amendment 18, had proven unsuccessful and activists supporting it now called for its annulment (Brown, 1938).
i. Federal mandates, grant programs, or federal court rulings in relation to K-12 teacher shortage
The legislative session of 2016 established a couple of novel grant initiatives for supporting educator preparation program enrollees. Enrollees in their pupil teaching stage are supported by the Student Teaching Residency Grant. Preparation initiative candidates dedicated to teaching within specific shortage areas are financially supported by the Teacher Shortage Conditional Grant. Furthermore, the grant urges individuals to enter the teaching profession by offering monetary assistance to enrollees with Professional Educator Standards Board approval. Recipients receive the grant after fulfilling an instructional service obligation.
3. K-12 teacher shortage in relation to;
a. Political culture
In the context of this paper, research failed to display a link between K-12 educator shortage and political culture for all 3 states.
b. Structure of state legislatures and partisan balance
The legislature for all 3 states comprises an upper senate and lower House of Representatives; no evident link exists between K-12 educator shortage and state legislature (Espinoza, 2017).
c. State judicial systems
State judicial systems appear not to contribute to the K-12 educator shortage in these states.
d. Geographic areas (urban/rural states)
In case of all states under study, K-12 educator shortage is usually concentrated in educational institutions that cater to minorities, rural communities, and economically underprivileged classes.
e. Local governments
All 3 states’ local governments are alike in their structure, with special-purpose bodies including education districts. These are mostly concerned with resolving the K-12 educator shortage issue. But the remaining local governmental wings display limited initiative when it comes to resolving this issue (Espinoza, 2017; Pedersen, 2017).
f. Gubernatorial powers
Despite the governors of all 3 states enjoying similar powers, the educator shortage issue differs differentially within these states. Thus, gubernatorial powers have no role to play with regard to this issue.
g. How do the states’ levels of party competition affect your results?
Within all 3 states, competition between political parties differs for each election season. Irrespective of this competition, K-12 educator shortage trends in the states continue to be the same.
4. Policy recommendation and rationale
a. For South Carolina
· Introduction pay hikes for educators and coming up with a differentiated pay scale system which rewards expert educators and educators who assume specialized responsibilities and roles.
· Development of superior-quality induction initiatives for fresh educator graduates, mandating district provision of these initiatives, and financing them.
· Having laws in place that forbid out-of-field instruction.
· Implementation of policies supporting reduced class size, besides offer more funds for quality material, resources, and facilities, within schools for high-poverty communities.
South Carolina’s educator shortage issue is largely concentrated in its poor localities. Hence, the aforementioned policy recommendations must motivate educators to choose these localities and continue a teaching career rather than quitting, which constitutes a contributor to this issue.
b. Legislative and gubernatorial support for the policy recommendation
While the policy may effectively deal with educator shortage, it may fail to gain state governmental approval. Other states’ similar policy recommendations haven’t succeeded owing to additional resources required for hiking educator salaries, particularly for individuals working in remote, or high-poverty areas. The challenge has grown after Trump’s government threatened to cut state funding (Espinoza, 2017; Pedersen, 2017).
c. Requirement to support this policy
The state must make the most of requisite resources for supporting teaching profession entrants, properly motivating individuals already in the field, and appropriately supporting individuals positioned in harsh areas.
d. Funding
Federal as well as state governments will offer relevant resources via locally-sourced finances’ reallocation for meeting federal fund deficits (Pedersen, 2017).
5. Support of Policy Recommendation
a. In South Carolina
Support for the issue will probably not be connected to political leanings. Considering the issue adversely impacts all and considering its exacerbation over time, most South Carolinian voters are anticipated to support it.
b. Institutional rules
The policy recommendation is expected to be accepted by educators and educational institutions.














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