Education Majors—the Future of American Schools

“Why do you want to be a teacher, you’re so much smarter than that.”

“You should consider medical school or law school; you are far too intelligent to be a teacher.”

These two statements are heard far too often in today’s society.  Regardless of where they come from, be it a well meaning relative or a peer with dreams to become the next great researcher.  According to New York Times journalist, Nicholas Kristof, schools in the United States are not doing their jobs in preparing students for the future.  He refers to the educational system as a “broken elevator.” A system that at one point, provided the necessary skills and knowledge to move up in socioeconomic status now acts more as a steep set of stairs than an escalator. 

As an undergraduate student, I received confused looks when I returned to my hometown and announced that rather than pursuing a career in accounting, I would be studying education.  Thankfully, one of my former teachers and family friends was incredibly supportive.  Since teaching me, she has moved into a principal position and oversees teachers, new and old, on a daily basis.  She told me that the brightest students always make the best teachers, and that it was a shame more students were not encouraged to pursue careers in education.  As a student, I heard remarks belittling the education program at Ole Miss and the students enrolled in the School of Education.  Even some of my friends made comments regarding my coursework and the classes I was required to take.  To the disbelief of many, I completed multiple 400 level history classes about everything from the Cold War to drug wars in Latin America, to the Huns in early China.  I enjoyed many of these classes, just as many students on a pre-med track enjoy biology and chemistry classes, but they were by no means easy.  Just as accounting students struggle to understand theories in Intermediate Accounting, I was challenged when researching the history and laws of ancient China. 

In the world of undergraduates, there is a certain stigma surrounding education majors.  Most might agree that anyone studying Elementary Education is simply attending college to complete an “MRS Degree,” preparing to be a wife and mother while taking easy classes and spending hours coloring pages and playing with kids.  Those studying Secondary Education are the former high school football stars who want to coach their hometown team to a State Championship while teaching a few drivers ed classes along the way.  But what about the people who, are you ready for this, want to teach!?  Crazy, I know.  But can’t you remember at least one teacher in your educational career who honestly loved his or her job?  Someone who worked after hours planning lessons that would spark your interest and hold your attention?  Just one teacher who loved students so much that on Friday nights, rather than being with family, her or she was at the football field cheering for the players, cheerleaders, and band members who sat in their classes every week?  If these teachers are the ones making a difference in our schools and preparing students for life after high school, why don’t we have more of them?  There are so many answers to this question.  The pay is too little, the parents are too involved, teaching to the test isn’t really teaching, paperwork is overwhelming, students have no respect, facilities are not up to date, there is no support from school administration, and there are no opportunities to move up from here; the list goes on and on. 

Vartan Gregorian, in his article Teacher Education Must Become Colleges’ Central Preoccupation, states that “higher-education institutions, in fact, must accept much of the responsibility for the dismal state of public school teaching today.”  He goes on to say that schools of education do not provide adequate training for prospective teachers and do not ensure they are properly equipped in their subject area before they are licensed to teach.  This is the disservice we are doing, as institutions of higher learning, to our students.  By failing to prepare them for what they will face in a classroom, we are setting them up for disappointment, frustration, and little success in the future.  Arthur Levine blames the failure of teachers on the expectations placed on them by employers.  He points out the lack of on the job training in teaching, citing doctors, lawyers, and businessmen as examples.  What hospital will take a doctor straight out of medical school and have him perform open heart surgery?  Why do we expect the same of our teachers? 

Before we can recruit solid students to enroll in schools of education, we must work to change the stereotype of education students and teaching as a profession.  Recently, Mississippi has taken a huge step in attracting bright students to become teachers.  The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program will provide 20 students with a full scholarship to attend either Mississippi State University or The University of Mississippi and enroll in education programs.  Upon completion of their degree, students must commit to teaching five years in Mississippi schools.  The requirements for this scholarship are high, requiring a minimum score of 28 on the ACT test and take part in a competitive interview process. 

Hopefully, in the coming years, we will see increased funding towards education and an increased interest in becoming an educator.  With more educators interested in enriching the lives of their students, perhaps we will see higher graduation rates and an even higher completion rate at colleges and universities. 

Sources:
The Clarion Ledger
Expectations for Our Teachers Are Misplaced
Teacher Education Must Become Colleges' Central Preoccupation
Our Broken Escalator