In this period of economic downturn, layoff notices and fiscal uncertainty, it's hard for many to see where their future careers might lie. Despite the temporary uncertainty about the market for teachers and other educators in the coming academic year, I believe a career in education is still a good option.
Given the number of "pink slips" issued this spring, it may, at first glance, seem ill advised to encourage teaching as viable career option. However, it is important to examine the long-term prospects and opportunities of this always exciting, challenging and rewarding profession.
Children will always need to be educated. Our compulsory-education laws dictate that teachers will always be needed. The teaching profession is unlike many jobs that may be outsourced or simply eliminated in this turbulent time. The supply/demand ratio may be out of balance temporarily, but history shows that balance can easily and quickly shift.
There is evidence that the current picture could change dramatically in the coming years. According to a recent report issued by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, more than 50 percent of the nation's teachers and principals are baby boomers. More than a third of the nation's 3.2 million teachers are expected to retire within the next four years. Turnover continues to be high in the initial years of teaching as well, with one out of every four beginning teachers leaving the profession to pursue other career options within the first three years.
Teachers will always be needed, and the public demand for competent, committed professionals will remain. In fact, this temporary downturn in open positions may have a side benefit.
Unlike the recent period following the class-size reduction period in California, when many underprepared teachers entered classrooms, schools now have the opportunity to select from a pool of highly qualified and fully certified teachers. Schools can be more selective in their hiring decisions and retain only teachers who are most effective.
Changes in teacher-certification laws and accreditation procedures have made earning a credential much more challenging. Candidates must demonstrate competence in subject matter and in pedagogy through a range of assessments. University preparation programs are under more scrutiny and have become much more selective and rigorous.
Candidates also enter teaching with more classroom experience than in the past. Their ability to teach is carefully assessed before they are awarded a credential. Although some complain about the "hoops" that teachers now have to jump through, the increasingly rigorous requirements have strengthened both the selectivity of admission and the quality of teachers.
Teaching is not for everyone. It is for highly motivated, energetic and dedicated individuals. It is for those who love learning and enjoy helping others learn, develop and grow. It is for those who have strong oral and written communication skills. It is for those who enjoy working collaboratively with other professionals. It is for those who are creative, innovative and passionate about what they do. It is for those who want to influence future generations.
The challenges are exciting and the rewards are priceless. Few accomplishments in life can measure up to the look of excitement on a student's face as he learns to read, solves a difficult calculus problem, develops an interest in history or learns another language.
Most of us can look back and remember the role of that special teacher in shaping our life decisions.
So, if you want to instruct and inspire the next generation of musicians, mathematicians, doctors, lawyers, nurses, scientists, accountants, astronauts and philosophers --- choose teaching!
Carol A. Bartell is dean of the School of Education at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.