State House Democrats and 1 Republican tout bills to address teacher shortage
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — Maybe money alone won't solve the problem, as several legislators said.
But money featured prominently among several proposals to help fill the void between the number of new teachers Pennsylvania needs and the number it's getting.
Despite roughly steady numbers of students statewide, fewer than half as many new college graduates are becoming teachers now compared to just a decade ago.
"We need to make bold steps to fix this systemic problem," state Rep. Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg) said Monday at a press conference in Harrisburg. "Tweaks and band-aids will not work."
Kim headed what was billed as a bipartisan event, although state Rep. Jim Rigby (R-Johnstown) was the only Republican there. Rigby's ideas?
"Paid student teaching opportunities for on-the-job training, tuition support and investments in non-teaching staff who are already committed to our schools and our communities," he said.
In other words, a pathway for aides to become teachers.
Democratic proposals – some new, other revived from past legislative sessions – include $8,000-per-year scholarships for people who pursue elementary or secondary education at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools and stay to teach in Pennsylvania; $40,000 in student loan forgiveness after four years teaching in the commonwealth; and a minimum teacher salary of $50,000, rising $2,500 annually to $60,000.
The case for investing in teachers?
"They are teaching the person who will find a cure for cancer," said state Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia), who is a former public school teacher. "They are teaching the young people that will find a cure for AIDS. They could possibly be teaching a future president."
Given vastly different views on many public school-related issues, what are the real chances of bipartisan solutions to the teacher shortage?
"We are looking forward to linking arms to make sure we fix this problem," Kim said.
One possible case for optimism: Some of Pennsylvania's most urban and rural districts – in other words, politically some of its bluest and reddest – share a more dire need for teachers than more "purple" suburban districts.
At one of those urban districts in need of teachers – Steelton-Highspire, just south of Harrisburg – two relatively new teachers said few of their childhood friends pursued teaching careers. Both said they're glad they bucked that trend.
"It's something that if you're passionate about and you're interested in and you want to help kids and you want them to learn, it's a good job," said Tayler Thorne, who is in her third year of teaching seventh-grade science.
Brad Ganster, in his second year teaching seventh-grade English, said he decided long ago to become a teacher "because my teachers were some of the best people I had in my life."
Some of his friends in other fields earn more money. But as for what you might call the total compensation package?
"I never do feel like I'm coming into work," Ganster said. "It's always, 'I'm going to school.'"