A 2020 piece by Allison Sadler in The New York Post listed Parents’ Career Wishes for Their Children:
- STEM: 39%
- Healthcare & Wellness: 33%
- Food: 26%
- Environment: 24%
- Accounting & Finance: 23%
- Business & Sales: 22%
- Construction: 21%
- Sport: 21%
- Agriculture: 20%
- Education: 20%
Yup! Education came in at #10.
And now, two years later, comes PDK International’s 2022 Public Attitudes Toward Public Schools, a poll of 1,008 American adults. The most notable finding: When asked if they want their child to be a teacher, 62% said NO! And that happens to be the highest number of folks going thumbs down on teaching careers for young people in the poll’s history.
WHY!!??
- 30% said poor pay and benefits.
- 26% said the difficulties, demands, and stress of the job.
- 23% cited a lack of respect.
- 2% had other reasons.
Meanwhile…
** 54% gave their community schools and “A” or B.”
** 45% gave them a “C” or “D” or a “Fail.”
And…
** 63% said they have “a good deal or good amount” of overall trust and confidence in their community teachers.
Meanwhile…
** 56% trust/have confidence in teachers “to appropriately handle” U.S. history.
** 50% said they have trust/confidence in teachers when it comes to teaching civics.
** 44% trust teachers to handle “how the history of racism” affects America today.
** 38% trust teachers to handle gender/sexuality issues.
Nevertheless, the article ends with this quote from Teresa Preston, director of publications at PDK International: “I think that’s very good news for education and for our schools.”
I’m just not so sure about that…
With my thanks and good 2022-23 school year wishes, Carol