Executive Voices: an op-ed column
Career Change
If you're looking for a challenging new job, think
about teaching
By Krista S.
Tillman
It’s time for some soul-searching. Every North
Carolinian needs to ask whether they are committed to building an
education system for the 21st Century, or whether the legacy of the
19th Century is sufficient. North Carolina has made great strides
recently. Achievement scores are creeping up. Accountability standards
are in place. The Smart Start and Communities in Schools programs are
making a difference.
But challenges remain. Some are simple, such as refining the scoring
system of end-of-grade testing. Others are difficult, such as
preventing one in three first-graders from dropping out before high
school graduation. And still others are critical, such as the urgent
need for closing the performance gap.
The issue is not solely about dollars, although funding will play a
role. We spend approximately $6,300 annually for each of our 1.3
million K-12 students. The state, which allocates $5.8
billion, about 40 percent of its budget, provides 69 percent of
the per-pupil funds, with 23 percent coming from local sources and 8
percent from federal resources are available. But are we using them as
efficiently and effectively as possible?
In forming the Education First Task Force, Gov. Mike Easley called for
a nationally superior education system, not one accepting minimum
standards. He’s right on target. No parent is willing for their
child to slide by with a “D” when capable of an “A.” We should
hold the state to the same standard.
As one of three co-chairs, I was thrilled to see the governor include
a strong business presence on the task force. Educators and elected
officials will provide critical input and ultimately determine the
success of our recommendations. To use the vernacular of business, we
are consumers of the education system’s product: educated workers
and customers.
Today, when BellSouth tests 100 applicants for our entry level service
technician position, only 38 will typically pass the tests for basic
math and communication skills. To get the same number of qualified
candidates for service representative, we have to test 200. And these
are tests designed to identify applicants who likely will not be able
to succeed in the jobs, not those who are likely to excel.
Many other businesses have the same difficulty in finding qualified
employee candidates. To the extent this reflects low unemployment and
continuing economic growth, it is not a negative. But to the extent
the phenomenon points out deficiencies in the preparation young people
receive for entering the working world, it underscores a problem.
One area the N.C. Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) has been
focused on is teacher recruitment. The NCBCE has long believed that
every classroom should be led by a competent, caring professional.
Most parents consider this a given, a foundation of the education
system. But in reality, it is a goal, not a beginning.
The problem is supply and demand. Today, North Carolina has
approximately 82,000 public school teachers. But projections indicate
growth and attrition will require at least 9,000 new teachers annually
for the next several years.
Unfortunately, this demand far outstrips the supply. Up to 2,500 new
teachers will come straight from the university system’s schools of
education, with somewhat fewer previously-licensed teachers returning
to the profession. After other provisions provide approximately 1,000
teachers, we will still lack more than 3,000 certified professionals.
Bridging the gap will require extensive public-private cooperation, a
willingness to challenge conventional wisdom, and most importantly, a
commitment to putting the needs of students first.
The State Board of Education is already doing a great deal of work
regarding lateral entry, which allows college graduates to serve on a
provisional basis as they complete work on their teaching
certificates. Several ideas are coming together that could streamline
the process, removing some traditional roadblocks and opening a new
pool of potential teachers.
While this work primarily involves the education community, business
can help by developing programs that encourage employees to consider
teaching as a second career. Most of us know a former co-worker who
took advantage of early retirement and is a prime candidate for a
second-career teacher. In addition to maturity and knowledge, they
would bring to the classroom the organizational and communication
skills learned in business and the enthusiasm that comes from new
challenges.
While some contend that business people may have difficulty
transitioning from a business culture to education, I strongly
disagree. Business success often depends on the ability to understand
and work with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. Over
the past decade, North Carolina’s demographic changes have led all
states. Yet our public school teachers remain overwhelmingly white
females. Only one in five is male and one in seven African-American.
Not only will second-career teachers increase diversity in education,
but they are extraordinarily well-equipped to navigate the cultural
undercurrents reshaping the face of North Carolina.
We have enjoyed enviable economic growth over two decades. But
prosperity comes easy in a booming economy. Today, we see a cooling
economy, business retrenchment and empty state coffers.
North Carolina need not follow the overall trend of the country. We
are well positioned to weather today’s economic drizzle, just as we
have withstood so many natural storms over the years. Yet our apparent
inability to produce educated workers ready for 21st Century jobs
severely undermines our potential. We must make decisions and develop
solutions based on future needs, not traditions or habits.
Business leaders have a responsibility to our companies and our
communities to step forward and lead the drive for education reform.
Will you join me?
Krista Tilllman of Charlotte is president - North Carolina of
BellSouth
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