TEACHER EXAMS HELP EQUATE TEACHER SHORTAGES

TEACHER EXAMS HELP EQUATE TEACHER SHORTAGES

There are great potential teachers out here including ones I know that are subs or paras who just can’t beat the exams, but wish they could be certified.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I stand before you today to address a critical issue that demands our immediate attention: the alarming shortage of teachers in our state. This shortage is not merely a statistic; it is a crisis that threatens the very foundation of our education system and the future of our children.

As we all know, teachers are the backbone of our schools, the mentors who shape young minds and instill the knowledge and values that will guide them throughout their lives. However, across our state, classrooms are increasingly being left without qualified educators to lead them. This shortage has reached such a critical level that it jeopardizes the quality of education our students receive. It puts undue strain on those teachers who remain, leading to burnout and diminished effectiveness.

One significant factor exacerbating this shortage is the stringent requirements imposed by teacher certification exams. While these exams are designed to ensure that our educators are well-prepared and competent, they have inadvertently become a barrier for many aspiring teachers, deterring potentially talented individuals from entering the profession. The correlation between these exams and the shortages cannot be overlooked.

We must acknowledge that the current system is not working. We cannot afford to lose passionate, dedicated individuals who possess the qualities needed to become exceptional teachers simply because they struggle to pass a standardized exam. It is time for us to reevaluate the way we assess and support our educators.

Governor, I urge you to take decisive action to address this crisis. We must invest in comprehensive solutions that not only attract more individuals to the teaching profession but also provide the necessary support and resources to ensure their success. This may involve revisiting the requirements for teacher certification, providing additional training and mentorship opportunities before and after a potential teacher has passed GK (General Knowledge) and Subject Exams; and offering incentives to encourage talented individuals to pursue careers in education.

Our children deserve nothing less than the best education possible, and that begins with ensuring that every classroom is led by a qualified, passionate teacher. Let us work together to overcome this challenge and build a brighter future for generations to come.

MY PERSONAL STORY

Teacher Certification & Teacher Shortage

My Evidence

Teacher certification and teacher shortage is the lowest and all-time high nationally. You would think that more states would try and help those potential teachers especially the ones who have worked either as paraprofessionals or substitute or support people to at least have bachelor /master degrees or hire from other non-educational degrees, who are trying to transition to teaching. However, there are so many barriers and hiccups, and all kinds of physical and mental boarded-up DOORS — literally — things that it takes for potentials like me to get through the door to TEACH-REACH — they (potential teachers) could be amazing. Great teachers are out there and in the state of Florida among other states, but you aren’t trying to make it remotely a little easier for people to retake the test. From my personal experiences, I’ve worked in Pinellas County schools since 2017 leaving my juvenile Justice department career to become a substitute then paraprofessional, and soon-to-be teacher. I was in the UNITED STATES Army for almost 6 years from 2009 to 2015 retired after the double leg and knee ostomies and replacements. I haven’t had many learning disabilities that kept me from passing tests or grabbing degrees. I was able to pass all my military & boot camp exams and physical tests! I have a Bachelor’s and a Masters's degree in Criminal Justice with a crime scene certification from St. Petersburg College in Florida, which was over 170 questions, and had to pass above average to become a certified crime scene tech. But, for some reason this particular test, FLA ELA 5–9 MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH has been interesting eight times apparently before just this past one and all I need was a 200 and I keep getting 193s 195s but never the exact 200. I’m trying to tell you that there are not a lot of people who are patient like me who are going to continue spending their money on these teacher exams, nor people even remotely as passionate and self-determined and motivated as I am to continue to keep doing it. Yes, I took a break to see how much of a test difference my score would be, but it looks like there was no change or difference Between 2021 and 2024 in my test scores even in 2019- same or similar results.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a passionate person, I was resilient way before the Military, and my upbringing and my grandmother taught me resilience so I’ll keep taking this test until I get the score. This is not a pity letter to say please pass me but it’s also something that you should look into; maybe, it’s race-related or maybe it’s particular questions that I won’t ever answer correctly due to my diversity and background.

It’s a lot of teachers that’s potential out here that really would love to be in the classroom that also have been working in the school boards for years and it’s just one test or maybe a few that’s just keeping them from getting that teacher status. A future hopeful teacher.

Tests like many know and Grey Anatomy’s projected beautifully when the show quoted this about tests,” Tests don’t always measure how much you know, they measure how well you take tests; tests certainly don’t measure your worth. “

and I for one am one that youth chose to teach them. I don’t need a fancy certification to prove that I know how to help students write and read. at the end of the day, they need adults they can trust, give them attention, and want to be there!

Thank you.