Teacher Shortage as “Shock Doctrine”
Below is a letter that has been revised. However, the message is appropriate for any supporter of public schools, professional teachers, and equity for all children. The original letter was sent to the state wide leaders of teacher education in Wisconsin. The letter was written because of my adamant disapproval of toying with teacher licenses even though we have a hostile legislature hellbent on dismantling teacher education and privatizing our community public schools.
Since the declared teacher “shortage” states have been either dabbling in wishful thinking or downright deprofessionalization. Believing that the “shortage” is simply a human capital issue complicated by dastardly license requirements, hostile state legislatures have decided that the “shortage” will simply be solved by doing away with license requirements. This in turn will allow “alternative” pathways and create more “robust pipelines” of potential teaching candidates. These new pipelines—devoid of professional regulations and professional license expectations—will magically create a new force of teachers.
My point is that we don’t have a shortage! We have a mass EXODUS that has been carefully planned for years and executed as an all out war on teachers. The result: A political movement (ALEC approved) to do away with the profession of teaching and further reduce the costs of our public school systems—A paved pathway to privatization.
Dear Teacher Education Colleagues,I cannot support any license changes until the conditions causing teachers to leave the classroom and the conditions discouraging young people from entering the profession drive the policy discussions.There is absolutely no evidence that changing license developmental ranges will doTeacher Shortage as "Shock Doctrine" | BustED Pencils:
