Plans in Florida, Oklahoma and other states starved of teachers to give veterans and first responders a shot at teaching is a “slap in the face” to teachers, President Biden’s education secretary said today.
“To provide educators who are not qualified or trained in the pedagogy of teaching is a slap in the face to the profession,” said Miguel Cardona.
“We have to be honest, that if we’re serious about investing in our schools and in our education system, we must make sure we’re treating educators like the professionals that they are,” added Cardona.
In addressing how governors such as Florida’s Ron DeSantis are handling state teacher shortages, Cardona said that it is as important to treat current educators with “respect” as filling vacancies.
At a breakfast roundtable hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Cardona suggested that school systems first address why teachers are leaving and why it is hard to recruit new teachers. A former teacher himself, he said the focus should be on improving pay and working conditions.
He recalled that while working in Connecticut, the state had a program called “Troops to Teachers,” and it was great to get their “skill set.” But those programs also represent lowering teaching standards to fill slots, something that he said shouldn’t be done.
He called instead for improving conditions, putting students on a “pathway” to becoming teachers, rehiring retired teachers.
Cardona said his department is working with Treasury to change tax laws to make returning to teaching by retirees attractive.
“There are solutions out there. Lower standards is not one of them. We need to raise the bar,” he told reporters.
