Life Sciences Education: The Ongoing Shortage of Qualified Teachers
My oldest son is a high school sophomore and is currently taking “honors” biology. While he is generally an “A” student, it is obvious that he is neither interested in biology nor motivated to perform to his ability in the class. Many of his “A-student friends” are also not doing well in biology class. This gave me pause for concern as a life-long science educator (and certified high school biology teacher). With this as a backdrop, I decided to meet with his teacher to determine why so many good students are underperforming in her class. After meeting with his teacher on two separate occasions, it was readily apparent why so many talented students were performing poorly in her class—she lacks the requisite educational and scientific skills to be an effective biology teacher. This was confirmed by the head of curriculum development in my school district who told me that the last time that the district had an opening for a high school biology teacher he had two applicants (neither of which had strong biology credentials)—this in the state of New Jersey which is touted to have one of the best public school systems in America.
It is no secret that there is a nationwide dearth of qualified science and math teachers. US officials have been angsting over this problem for about 20 years and have been unable or unwilling to come up with solutions. To that end, I propose the following: induce some of the many currently unemployed life sciences PhDs to consider teaching at the middle and high school levels. While this may sound unorthodox and unappealing to most card-carrying PhDs, there are many benefits to becoming a middle or high school teacher.
- Starting salaries for public school teachers with PhDs are very competitive
- The school year is only 10 months long and your summers are free
- The healthcare and 401 K/pension benefits are better than those in academia and industry (and contributions are usually paid by the school district)
- There are guaranteed, negotiated yearly raises and longevity pay
- Tenure is awarded after only three years
- Curricula requirements and guidelines exists but teachers can run their classes any way that they like
- Motivated and innovative teachers are encouraged to create new courses, apply for grants for curriculum development and sometimes—depending upon facilities—offer students an opportunity to conduct independent research projects
- School districts like to hire PhDs because it implies scientific excellence
While there are many benefits to being a teacher, it is not for everybody who holds a PhD degree. I don’t recommend taking a teaching job (out of desperation) if you don’t like to teach—you, your supervisor and your students will be miserable And, you likely will have frustrated and unhappy parents— like me—visiting your regularly.
We PhDs are enormously invested in the ways that we are perceived by our peers. And, I suspect that the mere mention of teaching high school to your friends, colleagues and supervisors will likely result in surprised looks and lot’s of head shaking. Unfortunately, it is this parochial thinking that has caused America to lose it competitive edge and scientists who chose to teach rather than do research are generally perceived as being less intelligent or competent than their peers. Ironically, it is this close-mindedness and pejorative thinking that has contributed to America’s two-decade long slide in science and technology. Perhaps it is time for PhDs to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem!
Until next time…
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting
P.S. Please contact me if you are interested in teaching biology in the East Windsor Regional School District in New Jersey.
Hello, I was very happy to find your post about the need for qualified biology teachers in NJ. I am a recent PhD in Ecology and Evolution who is currently in the process of changing career paths toward teaching high school biology. I expect to receive my Certificate of Eligibility to teach Biology in NJ in the next few weeks. Aside from academia, my career as a vertebrate ecologist thus far has been mainly in the non-profit conservation sector. I greatly enjoyed teaching undergraduates as a TA and that experience, coupled with my role as a single mother, has prompted me to switch careers. It seems that becoming a teacher via the Alternate Route is a long and difficult process regardless of how qualified one is for the job. I have been told there is a great need for highly qualified teachers but I do not get much of a response to the applications I send out for open biology teacher positions. I am hoping to begin teaching by Fall 2009 because I am anxious about this major career change and I know that I will need time and experience to develop my teaching skills. Also, I am very excited about being an effective and well-liked biology teacher one day. If you could offer advice on how best to find employment as a biology teacher in a high school in NJ, including East Windsor, that would be extremely helpful. Advice on how to mold an academic CV to be better suited to applying for teaching positions in secondary schools as well as the best approach to finding out about schools where there is a present/future need for biology teachers would be very useful. Thank you for your post and any help you may offer! - Kristi
Your qualification idea is precisely why the hiring system is so screwed up. The problem is this degree system where you have to rote memorize and regurgitate a bunch of irrelevant subjects until you get a slip of paper. It's ridiculous. Demonstrating knowledge of biology and capacity to present that content in an understandable way are all that matter. Prioritizing a slip of paper over that is hilariously flawed.