Steep drop in teacher education majors confirmed by SUNY Potsdam, St. Lawrence University
Enrollment in teacher education programs has plunged by 30 percent at SUNY Potsdam and by two-thirds at St. Lawrence University.
“Yes, we’ve certainly seen that as a national trend as well as a local trend,” said Dr. Peter Brouwer, dean of SUNY Potsdam’s School of Education and Professional Studies.
About 1,100 were enrolled three years ago compared to about 800 now, he said.
St. Lawrence University’s Teacher Education Program Coordinator Esther Oey notes that several years ago there were between 24 and 30 enrollees in their teacher programs, “and now there are seven to 10.”
Brouwer believes the drop is part of what he says is a cyclical phenomenon of peaks and valleys in enrollments by teacher trainees. This trough in the cycle, he said, is at least partly due to the layoffs of teachers in New York after state aid funding cuts, leaving new teachers few places to find a job.
“And the publicity around cutting staff has had negative impacts on people thinking about an education career,” he said.
The situation has been compounded by the New York State Common Core and teacher evaluation efforts.
“There has been a very public duel between the governor and teachers in the press” which has had an effect on perceptions of the job teachers have to do, Brouwer said, further discouraging some people who might have wanted to go into teaching.
Some speculation that the lower enrollments might actually result in some inferior teacher candidates is refuted by Brouwer, particularly in light of new higher standards in New York for student teachers.
“We have not lowered our standards in any way,” and in fact have raised them, Brouwer said.
“For instance, within SUNY, we’ve raised the entrance requirement for people we accept” for teacher training, who now must have a 3.0 high school average, he said. And the requirements to graduate with a teaching certificate have also been stiffened.
“This has not helped the enrollment picture, but certainly helps maintain or even enhance the quality of students in the program. But it has become more difficult to enter the teaching profession,” Brouwer said.
Brouwer notes that since SUNY initiated the higher GPA requirement, it has become a requirement at all colleges in the state that train teachers.
“The perception is that the quality of teacher education is down,” Brouwer said, and while he doesn’t share that feeling, he believes that perception is one reason the Common Core standards had been implemented in the first place.
“Common Core is focusing on things that very successful teachers have done, and highlighting them” in teacher training, SLU’s Oey said. “I’m finding it’s something we can use to energize teacher candidates.”
Brouwer said he thinks the deepest trough in student teacher enrollments is Steep drop in teacher education majors confirmed by SUNY Potsdam, St. Lawrence University | NorthCountryNow:
