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Wisconsin State Journal
July 17, 1999
Reprinted with permission
Julie Posselt has become accustomed to questions about her career choice, especially the one about pay.
"People say, 'You've got the brains, you could make so much more.' "
But Posselt, 22, of Manitowoc, wants to be a teacher - one of a growing number of college students nationally and in Wisconsin migrating to the profession.
Just over 10 percent of all college freshmen in the country say they want to teach in elementary or secondary schools, according to a new survey by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the University of California at Los Angeles. The percentages, for 1998, the latest year available, are the highest since the early 1970s and nearly twice what they were at their low point, in 1982.
The number of applicants to teacher training programs at the UW- Madison School of Education is increasing at about 5 percent annually, said Jack Kean, associate dean for teacher education. The school had 270 applicants for its elementary program this fall and only 150 slots.
A greater number of Wisconsin high school students taking the ACT college entrance exam are reporting education as their intended major, according to the Office of Policy Analysis and Research at the University of Wisconsin System. In 1995, 9.1 percent (3,402 students) marked that option. By 1998, the percentage had risen to 10.5 (4,346 students).
Education officials and experts say these numbers reflect a shift in attitudes about teaching - from seeing it as a career plagued by low pay and low prestige to one needing smart, altruistic people.
"It's heartening," said Joan North, dean of the College of Professional Studies at UW-Stevens Point, where the number of freshmen declaring interest in teaching elementary school has increased 60 percent in four years. "I was worried that with the difficulties schools are facing, they'd say, 'No way, I'll take computer science or engineering.' "
Posselt, who just completed two semesters of student teaching at West High School and Hamilton Middle School in Madison, said the experience convinced her she's made the right choice. She wants a career that couples academic rigor with purposeful work.
"I saw people who weren't in it for the glory," she said. "They were in it for the service."
While teachers' salaries are rising, they still lag behind other fields. According to the American Federation of Teachers, first-year teachers made an average of $25,735 in 1997-98. By contrast, new engineers were making about $42,860 and those working in business administration made $34,830.
"So many of the students we see are amazing in their thoughtfulness and abilities." |
The Madison School District is upping its base wage for starting teachers, from $25,945 last year to $26,335 this fall.
Amy Garncarz, 28, who will begin student teaching at Lincoln Elementary School in Madison next month, said she's willing to trade a higher salary for work she considers noble and fulfilling.
"I see people flounder around in the business world," she said. "They get very robotic - go to the office, work on a computer, go home. That doesn't appeal to me. I'm trying to make a difference in the world."
Such idealism is common in interviews with future teachers, yet they're not naive. At a time when scrutiny of public schools is intense and teacher-bashing fashionable, several said they're arming themselves with thick skin and girding for criticism from not only students, but also from parents, taxpayers and politicians.
"We're going to get it from all sides, but we're just going to have to deal with it," said Megan Faherty, 18, of Merrill, an incoming UW-Madison freshman who wants to be a teacher.
The problems facing schools - safety concerns, below-average test scores among some minority groups, U.S. test scores that lag other countries in some subjects, high-need children - aren't lost on future teachers.
"I expect it to be challenging, especially the first couple of years," Faherty said. "I know it can be stressful."
Patricia Moran advises UW-Madison undergraduates in the School of Education and works with placing student teachers. She's seen an increase in students who volunteer in their communities and thinks that might be contributing to interest in teaching.
"So many of the students we see are amazing in their thoughtfulness and abilities," she said. "There seems to be a strong altruistic bent."
Moran speculates that, despite the challenges facing schools and the criticism of public education from some quarters, young people aren't scared away from the profession because their very-recent experiences have been largely positive.
"They've just come out of that environment, and they know better," she said. "They've just had that teacher who made a difference. So many of the knocks in the newspapers are from people somewhat removed from the educational arena."
Sue Kim, 20, a UW-Madison education student, said of her peers: "Something we all have in common is that we've all had good educational experiences ourselves."
All 13 of the University of Wisconsin System's four-year colleges have teacher-training programs, but the size and scope varies.
Competition among applicants often is strong. The average grade- point average of the 150 students entering the elementary education certification program at UW-Madison this fall is 3.46 out of a 4.0 scale, Kean said.
Nationally, the number of students earning degrees in education has increased, while the number of students graduating from medical schools, law schools and business schools has dropped off or held steady in recent years, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.
The number of bachelor's and master's degrees in education rose 31 percent from 1986 to 1996, compared with 22 percent in other fields.
Market forces could be driving some of the renewed interest. The federal Department of Education estimates that schools will need to hire 2.2 million teachers over the next 10 years to meet a wave of retirements, rising enrollments and demands for smaller class sizes.
Although Wisconsin isn't expecting such a severe shortage, the national need for teachers "makes the career more attractive," Kean said.
The move toward national education standards and higher professional accountability also could be adding to the appeal of teaching, Kean said. "Standards may mean that students are not seeing it so much as an undervalued profession, as it's often been portrayed in the past," he said.
The New York Times wire service contributed to this report.
Posted August 16, 1999