Midterm Elections Are Here and the Future of the Teaching Profession Is on the Ballot
By JC Pineda
I was a quiet and shy kid growing up, with few friends and not very outgoing. Fortunately, I had great teachers. They cared for me and all of their students and wanted each of us to succeed in whatever challenges were thrown our way. They went beyond the subjects they taught to make school feel fun and safe for me and my classmates. It was teachers like Mr. Bushaw, who taught band and whose band room became my home, who gave me the confidence to come out of my shell and eventually become the person I am today. Mr. Bushaw and so many other teachers also made me realize my passion for education and inspired me to walk in their footsteps.
As an educator, I watch my students navigate similar struggles of growing up as I did, but with the added challenges brought on by the pandemic. Our students need and deserve excellent teachers now more than ever, yet many teachers I know, myself included, have considered changing careers more times in the past two years than at any time previously. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen a dramatic increase in qualified teachers leaving the profession and a rapid decline in young professionals interested in joining the education field. With midterm elections now here and education on the forefront of many candidates’ platforms, what is your candidate going to do to get teachers into the classroom and to keep them there?
Texas educators are highly trained professionals who bring a diverse range of expertise to our classrooms. In addition to holding college degrees and official state certifications, many of us make the decision to continue our own education by pursuing advanced degrees, multiple certifications, and participating in a variety of professional development opportunities. We do this because if we are going to ask our students to adapt their thinking to a changing workforce, we must also adapt our own methods and skills. This is the only way we can be the best possible teachers that our students deserve. Despite this, Texas teachers fall short in how they are compensated for their expertise compared to other college graduates. This is especially concerning when considering the rising costs-of-living and the threat of an economic recession. It is critical that we support candidates that will fight for teachers being paid their worth as the experts that we are.
When it comes to prospective teachers, educator preparation programs (EPPs) are seeing less enrollment now than ever. Our students need more highly qualified teachers in their classrooms and greater diversity among the educators in their schools now more than ever. Teachers need less scrutiny from the public about the curriculum we teach and fewer financial obstacles towards certification and our professional development. Your candidate must be in support of finding and implementing policies that will encourage prospective teachers to pursue their certifications in an environment that will foster excellence and trust in the system.
Like many other Texas teachers, I worry daily about the safety and well-being of the students and colleagues who walk in my school’s halls. The pandemic has shown a clear, immediate need for access to quality physical and mental health services for both students and their teachers. Many teachers find themselves with limited and sometimes expensive options for health care (and especially mental health care), even while insured. Meanwhile, our students need social-emotional learning (SEL) in their schools and while many of our campuses have responded to this by implementing an SEL curriculum, is it enough to keep our students emotionally healthy? In the aftermath of unthinkable tragedies like Uvalde, teachers and students alike are questioning just how safe they really are at school knowing that nothing has changed to prevent future incidents. Your candidate must have a plan to address these shortfalls in what keeps our schools healthy and safe for students and teachers.
I love what I do and I love seeing my students succeed in the challenges they face. And while I do not know what the future holds for myself or my students, I do know that there are many different solutions for the problems in Texas education right now. I know who I am voting for to ensure that I am able to do my job to the best of my ability while also prioritizing the quality of education our children receive now and in the future. Do you?
Jose (JC) Pineda is a Band and Color Guard Director at Riverside High School in El Paso. He is a Teach Plus Texas Senior Policy Fellow.
