We need to muster the political courage to challenge teachers unions' unbridled power
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement for overhauling the K-12 education system in New York rightly recognizes the teacher shortage, which has become a crisis. But it does not change the underlying incentives for attracting talented people into teaching or retaining the teachers who do a good job educating their students.
From urban to suburban to rural, schools are desperate for personnel to staff classrooms. Classrooms are often forced to combine to ensure an adult is present to supervise students. And administrators are regularly substituting as teachers, lunchroom monitors and cafeteria workers. These shortages wear existing school personnel out and reduce the student experience.
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Christos A. Makridis is an adjunct scholar at the Manhattan Institute. He is also a research professor at Arizona State University and the chief technology officer and head of research of Living Opera, an arts and education technology startup.
Keri D. Ingraham is a fellow at Discovery Institute and director of the Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education.
This piece originally appeared in The Washington Times