Spring Break
Male Teacher Shortage Hits Home
James White
Issue date: 9/25/07 Section: News
Public school students need many resources to receive the best quality education: clean, safe schools, updated classroom materials, but perhaps most importantly, students need caring, well-educated teachers to serve as positive role models.
Educators say they're concerned those role models may be in short supply as fewer men choose to become teachers.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), the percentage of teachers who are male is at a nationwide 40-year low.
"It's disappointing that as gender roles have changed, we haven't picked up more men," said Richard Schwab, dean of the NEAG School of Education. "We try to recruit them as much as we can."
Nationally, about 25 percent of the more than 3 million public school teachers are men, according to the NEA.
The shortage of male teachers is most acute in elementary schools. NEA statistics show only about 260,000 men teaching in primary schools across the country, a number dwarfed by more than 1.5 million female teachers.
These trends continue in Connecticut public schools. According to the state Department of Education, nearly 9 in 10 elementary school teachers are women - including 98 percent of kindergarten teachers. Nearly three-quarters of all state teachers are women, in line with national averages.
"We definitely have a long way to go in the elementary school areas," said Anthony Daniels, chair of the NEA's student services program.
"If you constantly see women in the forefront of teaching, you think that teaching is only for women," he said.
Daniels, who holds a degree in elementary education, said that he recently visited his hometown elementary school and found not a single male teacher.
After giving a collection of books to the school and reading to students, Daniels said he received numerous thank-you notes, including several from boys who said they now wanted to become teachers.
"You should have seen the smiles on these kids' faces," he said.
Educators say they're concerned those role models may be in short supply as fewer men choose to become teachers.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), the percentage of teachers who are male is at a nationwide 40-year low.
"It's disappointing that as gender roles have changed, we haven't picked up more men," said Richard Schwab, dean of the NEAG School of Education. "We try to recruit them as much as we can."
Nationally, about 25 percent of the more than 3 million public school teachers are men, according to the NEA.
The shortage of male teachers is most acute in elementary schools. NEA statistics show only about 260,000 men teaching in primary schools across the country, a number dwarfed by more than 1.5 million female teachers.
These trends continue in Connecticut public schools. According to the state Department of Education, nearly 9 in 10 elementary school teachers are women - including 98 percent of kindergarten teachers. Nearly three-quarters of all state teachers are women, in line with national averages.
"We definitely have a long way to go in the elementary school areas," said Anthony Daniels, chair of the NEA's student services program.
"If you constantly see women in the forefront of teaching, you think that teaching is only for women," he said.
Daniels, who holds a degree in elementary education, said that he recently visited his hometown elementary school and found not a single male teacher.
After giving a collection of books to the school and reading to students, Daniels said he received numerous thank-you notes, including several from boys who said they now wanted to become teachers.
"You should have seen the smiles on these kids' faces," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Jeff
posted 10/01/07 @ 11:54 PM EST
Excellent article.
Celina
posted 11/18/08 @ 10:38 AM EST
Just came across this article, and I think the failing performance of boys in schools mirrors this decline in male teachers. I don't understand why we don't pay for men's college or offer men only scholarships to address this. (Continued…)
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