This was sent to me today .... thoughts?

[Frank]

It's also never been easier for guys to find a college educated woman. :-)
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...t-date/273158/

Ya know there is a unseen benefit to having available a glut of newly minted college graduates seeking decent employment....Teachers.
I believe the potential and the available talent pool could be enriched.

Is this a thread hijack?

[chancellor]

Is this a thread hijack?

One can only hope.

[Wonderboy]

Thank goodness no one has posted any pix of naughty school teachers. Darn it.

[heyelander]

I picture a drunk disgruntled divorcee, slumped over a small table in a darkened room with a bottle of Jack and a revolver. The Jack's almost finished ...

I didn't post it...

[B-Fly]

Ya know there is a unseen benefit to having available a glut of newly minted college graduates seeking decent employment....Teachers.
I believe the potential and the available talent pool could be enriched.

Is this a thread hijack?

Actually, in some ways it brings it full circle. I believe that when the broader job and career marketplace opened up to women it was obviously only fair and appropriate, but at the same time it hurt the overall talent pool entering the teaching profession, which previously had been a top choice for exceptionally talented female college grads. When the rest of the job market opened up to women and teaching salaries didn't correspondingly rise to match those of other professions, the teaching profession lost a significant portion at the top of its prospective talent pool. Now, in part due to the economy and in part due to additional investments in education, the salary and benefits of teaching positions have become more competitive again for men and women alike, and you're starting to see larger and more talented pools of applicants for the available teaching positions (although still not what you'd hope to see in high-need shortage areas like STEM, SpEd, Bilingual).

[johnnya24]

Actually, in some ways it brings it full circle. I believe that when the broader job and career marketplace opened up to women it was obviously only fair and appropriate, but at the same time it hurt the overall talent pool entering the teaching profession, which previously had been a top choice for exceptionally talented female college grads. When the rest of the job market opened up to women and teaching salaries didn't correspondingly rise to match those of other professions, the teaching profession lost a significant portion at the top of its prospective talent pool. Now, in part due to the economy and in part due to additional investments in education, the salary and benefits of teaching positions have become more competitive again for men and women alike, and you're starting to see larger and more talented pools of applicants for the available teaching positions (although still not what you'd hope to see in high-need shortage areas like STEM, SpEd, Bilingual).

What ever happened to the 3 R's.

[hacko]

I picture a drunk disgruntled divorcee, slumped over a small table in a darkened room with a bottle of Jack and a revolver. The Jack's almost finished ...

I don't own a gun!!!

[B-Fly]

What ever happened to the 3 R's.

Reading and writing, whether you want to call it "English" or "Language Arts" is not a shortage area. That's a subject for which most school districts are now seeing a great number of attractive candidates for every vacancy. Same with "Social Studies"/"History", as well as most "common branch" teachers for elementary school vacancies.

The third R, 'rithmetic, is part of STEM, which is the in vogue education-speak acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those are still shortage areas in many places.

[johnnya24]

Reading and writing, whether you want to call it "English" or "Language Arts" is not a shortage area. That's a subject for which most school districts are now seeing a great number of attractive candidates for every vacancy. Same with "Social Studies"/"History", as well as most "common branch" teachers for elementary school vacancies.

The third R, 'rithmetic, is part of STEM, which is the in vogue education-speak acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those are still shortage areas in many places.

When I was at school we did Physics, Biology and Chemistry separately. Nowadays they do General Science (combined) in a lot of schools because of a shortage of talent willing to sacrifice lucrative private careers for teaching. I suppose you've noticed / experienced the same thing?

[B-Fly]

We I was at school we did Physics, Biology and Chemistry separately. Nowadays they do General Science (combined) in a lot of schools because of a shortage of talent willing to sacrifice lucrative private careers for teaching. I supposed you've noticed / experienced the same thing?

The shortage of talent, yes. High school courses titled "General Science", not exactly, but sort of. NY State Education Law compels slightly more specification than that, as students must complete six semesters of science to graduate, at least two of which must be in the "life sciences" and at least two of which must be in the "physical sciences". So our schools do at least tend to break out life sciences (e.g., biology, "living environment") from physical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry) in their course titles and scope, but it's not the same as when I was in school, when pretty much everyone progressed in the same order from Earth Science to Biology to Chemistry to Physics.

[johnnya24]

The shortage of talent, yes. High school courses titled "General Science", not exactly, but sort of. NY State Education Law compels slightly more specification than that, as students must complete six semesters of science to graduate, at least two of which must be in the "life sciences" and at least two of which must be in the "physical sciences". So our schools do at least tend to break out life sciences (e.g., biology, "living environment") from physical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry) in their course titles and scope, but it's not the same as when I was in school, when pretty much everyone progressed in the same order from Earth Science to Biology to Chemistry to Physics.

That's interesting. This is a bit loaded but ... has there ever had to be accommodations /adjustments made to the curriculum over the years to account for these shortages?

I only ask because this is a massive debate right now ... over the last 15 years there has been a massive dumbing down of the UK education system, and it is currently in the process of being completely overhauled, and returned to a more old fashioned stringent exam-based system (as opposed to continual assessment).

[B-Fly]

That's interesting. This is a bit loaded but ... has there ever had to be accommodations /adjustments made to the curriculum over the years to account for these shortages?

Not to my knowledge. Right now, at least, it would appear we're trending in the other direction, with the Common Core Standards initiative that's now been adopted by 44 states and DC. One of the biggest concerns we're hearing now is that teachers haven't been appropriately trained to teach to the new standards, but the states are already changing their mandated standardized tests to align with the Common Core.