Respect for teacher’s authority drops in the US: A cause for teacher shortage that’s ignored
In 2018, schools began to adopt a 4-days school week to combat teacher shortage. But the reason for the shrinking labor pool is apparent: low wages and low morale.
Teachers’ salaries may be a matter of state policy, but the growing lack of respect is endemic that contributes to teachers’ low morale.
Students’ respect for teachers dropped from 79% to 31%: A new Harris Poll finds that fewer adults believe teachers respect parents or students — and that fewer believe parents and students respect teachers. [USA Today]
More teachers feel they’re undervalued: 75% of teachers say that the education environment today makes it difficult for teachers to be their best in the classroom. [EAB]
Less rewarding career
Teaching may be a career, but it is a passion for the most part. With recent data showing respect for teachers has dropped significantly, it is no wonder teaching has become less rewarding.
Unfortunately, the school education system has evolved from removing conservative values to embracing the non-academic-based LGBTQ curriculum and Critical Race Theory—even punishing teachers if they do not comply with a particular woke agenda.
“Low morale is not the fault of individual teachers—but the organization” [EAB]
School administrators should model respect and discipline
Having worked as a classroom assistant and substitute teacher in several districts in Illinois, I’ve seen how the same set of students behave, depending on how a teacher implements class discipline or the lack thereof.
Thankfully, I’ve seen more teachers discipline their students, particularly in Wheaton and Glenbard Districts, more effectively, and reap its rewards.
However, I’ve also witnessed “bad modeling” from school administrators—deans and a principal with racial and implicit bias.
The point is that classroom discipline translates to better academic discipline, and it begins at the top of the chain.
CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE TRANSLATES TO BETTER ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE.
Poverty often blamed for a lack of discipline
Poverty and parental absence are correlated to student misbehavior. They are often the convenient excuse for America’s declining academic scores and values.
Literacy rapidly declines among American adults—even before the COVID lockdown. While mainstream media blames the pandemic and poverty.
But similar data is evident among Asians, yet they now exceeded American Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in terms of academic excellence and household income.
The bottom line, current efforts, such as shorter days and more student accommodations, do not address the root cause of disrespectful students—especially among high school students.
current efforts do not address the root cause of disrespectful students.