Teacher Job Openings Attract High Number of Applicants

Detroit News opinion editor Nolan Finley recently wrote about his ideas for how to fix Michigan schools.

Finley offered several interesting interpretations, but one statement we question: “Teaching is falling out of fashion as a profession. That’s particularly true in Michigan, where teachers feel they have been scapegoated for failing schools and asked to bear the brunt of the budget woes. Attracting the best and brightest into classrooms is a challenge, keeping them there an even greater one.”

ForTheRecord says: We have not seen any convincing evidence to support claims by union and state officials that teaching positions have fallen out of fashion. CapCon is contacting school districts regarding job applicants. Thus far, between nine school districts with 10 teacher openings, there were 223 applicants.

It is true that not every district is swamped with applications for each job posting. Tekonsha Community Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Kawaski said an opening for a middle school/high school science teacher received just three applications. But it also required the teacher be certified in integrated science.

The Galesburg-Augusta district posted for two high school science teaching positions and received a total of 20 applicants.

And according to the state, there are many more people certified to teach in the state than there are jobs.