美国国家公共电台 NPR--School districts are struggling to hire as teachers reconsider their careers

School districts are struggling to hire as teachers reconsider their careers

Transcript²

As the school year gets underway, many American teachers are facing intensified³ pressure from states and parents, and some are considering whether they should stay in the profession.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

It's a new school year, and many districts around the country have been scrambling⁴ to find and keep enough teachers to lead their classrooms. Many educators are thinking about their future, often because of some unprecedented⁵ challenges. Teachers will tell you that it's never been an easy or lucrative⁶ career path, but now they're at the front line of deep societal fractures that can be scary, school board meetings that devolve into chaos⁷ over COVID policies.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: These are our kids, not yours. Where are yours?

FADEL: There's the disinformation and hysteria around critical race theory.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: It's not in our schools.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: It is in our schools.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Show me in the curriculum where CRT, that you cannot even define, is in our schools.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: All you have to do is go to social media, sir.

FADEL: Book banning and calls to arm teachers in the face of gun violence at schools.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Lawrence County is the first school district in the state of Georgia to arm its teachers.

FADEL: Some teachers say it's driving them out of the classroom.

JAKE MILLER⁸: My name is Jake Miller. I live in central Pennsylvania. I was a teacher for 15 years and just recently left the profession.

FADEL: He made the decision in the middle of the school year. Now he's a business consultant⁹.

Why did you leave the profession?

MILLER: There's been an attack on education for quite some time. The pandemic was just a weight too heavy. You know, that was the albatross that pulled me under. And I knew that I needed to pivot¹⁰. That was especially true because I was accused of teaching critical race theory when I taught about how the Civil War was fought over racism¹¹ and slavery.

FADEL: Well, wait a second.

MILLER: And there's so many other things, too.

FADEL: I'm sorry.

MILLER: Yeah.

FADEL: When you taught that the Civil War was about slavery and racism...

MILLER: Yes.

FADEL: ...People complained?

MILLER: There were some parents who brought that to the attention of the school board, and those parents weren't satisfied with the school board's response. So they took it to a state representative, who has used this as a dog whistle. So...

FADEL: I'm sorry. I'm just so kind of blown away because, I mean, how do you teach the Civil War without talking about slavery and racism?

MILLER: You cannot (laughter). So that is why I ended up where I am.

FADEL: There were other moments - a shortage of substitute teachers, the low pay, the lack of respect from parents and politicians.

MILLER: When I stopped having fun, I knew I had to be there for my family more. And I'm making a lot more money, too. And when I left teaching, I got a 50% pay raise.

FADEL: Is there any part of you that regrets walking away?

MILLER: I don't regret it. I do not.

FADEL: Teachers around the country are making similar calculations to Miller.

ALEXANDER CALDERON: My name is Alexander Calderon. I am a seventh-grade teacher out in Queens. I teach seventh-grade ELA and social studies.

FADEL: He was only an ELA teacher, English language arts teacher. And then a colleague quit overnight, and suddenly, he was also the social studies teacher.

CALDERON: I felt like there was little to no support in terms of understanding this new curriculum. I was really at my breaking point to the point where I was thinking about just leaving. I wrote pros¹² and cons¹ of, like, why I should stay on my phone.

FADEL: The pros - pay wasn't bad, comparatively. His colleagues were supportive. He wanted to stay for his students.

CALDERON: There were a little bit more cons.

FADEL: Little support from the administration. He was doing the job of two teachers. School morale¹³ was terrible. And he was watching one teacher after the next leave. This week, though, he decided¹⁴ to return to the classroom for a new school year to teach both English and social studies. His list is still saved on his phone.

What was it that told you, no, I'm going to stick it out? This is the reason.

CALDERON: Honestly, the kids. The kids are our No. 1 priority. Those relationships, seeing what the kids' interests are and getting to know them as people is what ultimately drove me to stay because I felt, you know, if I leave, some of these students are going to be feeling that, like, oh, another adult or somebody that is in this power role left me behind. Like, what does that mean for my future?

FADEL: Part of the reason you became an educator was because you didn't see teachers that look like you. And I'm just wondering if you teach kids who can see themselves in you. I know you're Latino.

CALDERON: So the demographic is, I want to say, statistically¹⁶ maybe 85% Black, and then the rest of the statistic¹⁵ is Latinx. So there are kids in the classroom that did see me. One particular case, we had a student come from Nicaragua, and I was on the middle school level the sole, like, Spanish translator.

FADEL: Oh, wow.

CALDERON: So there was that pressure of, like, catering¹⁷ to that population where, like, I had one year where I catered¹⁸ to one family. When I saw that parent, it made me think of my own mom struggling through the American education system.

FADEL: Yeah.

CALDERON: So I felt that I was kind of morally obligated to stay because this kid is coming from a completely different system of education.

FADEL: And then there are the teachers who plan to stick it out no matter what.

ERIC HALE: My name is Eric Hale. I'm from Dallas, Texas. I teach in Dallas ISD. I teach first grade.

FADEL: Are you in your classroom right now?

HALE: Yes, I am. We're working on number bonds.

FADEL: Hale is a dapper dresser - an emerald green tie and navy blazer, complete with a bright orange pocket square. Behind him is a bulletin board waiting to be filled with the year's activities. That clicking noise in the background is his daughter playing. In 2021, he was named Teacher of the Year for the entire state of Texas, the first African American man to win the honor.

HALE: And so I got to meet these phenomenal educators that represented their state, and we got to meet the president. And it was a whole yearlong bonding experience. And out of my crew, only me and the state teacher of Illinois are still actively¹⁹ in the classroom. A lot of them, especially the teachers of color, got tired of fighting a system that necessarily wasn't designed for people that look like me and the kids that I serve to be successful. They got tired of the disrespect of the profession. And most importantly, they got tired of the lack of compensation.

FADEL: Would you ever leave teaching, education?

HALE: No because I'm in a position, and I've been blessed that I'm changing the face of education.

FADEL: Growing up as a Black student from a poorer neighborhood who didn't have a support system, Hale says he didn't have any teachers that looked like him, no teachers that truly understood his needs.

HALE: So I teach angry. I'm chasing the ghost of the teacher that I wish I had when I was a child. I grew up being abused and in trauma²⁰ in a neighborhood that was generationally underserved. Sadly, I didn't have any great teachers. I just had one who made a difference.

FADEL: So now he is that teacher every day in his classroom of first-graders, where many of his students live in poverty and the school just doesn't get the books and equipment that public schools in richer areas get.

HALE: I teach in the same type of neighborhood that I grew up in. I fight for these kids because I know the potential. I'm a firm believer of some of the brightest minds come from the darkest places.

FADEL: Meanwhile, he says, he's been watching this uproar²¹ over critical race theory around the country. Teachers can barely afford the resources for their own curriculum, he says. So it's laughable that they'd shell out money for a college course.

HALE: They're trying to criminalize good teaching.

FADEL: The misinformed panic, he says, is a political weapon to stop teachers who think about who the students are in their classroom and how to get students of every race and ethnicity to feel connected.

HALE: Let me give you an example. I teach every child that I serve the Texas state curriculum. I add to that curriculum images in literature and in person to inspire them that they can be a doctor, a lawyer, a novelist, an author by bringing people that come from the same areas that they come from. So because I'm African American, I have to do my research and find great leaders of Hispanic descent because the population that I serve is mostly Hispanic because once again, in the neighborhood that I grew up in, I wish that somebody would have brought a judge to the school. I wish that somebody would have brought a current congressman²², a senator, the mayor, you name it. I've brought them. And I'm actively trying to bring them again - of all different colors. Representation matters.

FADEL: Also, he creates songs named after his students tailored to their personalities²³.

HALE: I have a DJ booth next to me, and so I DJ in my classroom. And each song is special and unique, just like the kids because I sit at home, and I think, and I say, oh, man, oh, Jaime (ph) is very active. His feet are always moving. So I like these drums. They have a little pitter-patter.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

HALE: And so I'm able to describe the songs to them. And it makes them feel so special, and it makes them feel so loved.

FADEL: It's what he would have wanted when he was a child. It's why Eric Hale teaches. Jake Miller, who left teaching - he taught because of one teacher who inspired him to be the first in his family to go to college. Alexander Calderon teaches to be the bridge builder for students who need him in the public school system. And all of them, whether they stay or leave, look to the future of education with hope.

MILLER: Yeah, I have two young sons, so you better believe I'm darn hopeful that the education that they get is going to be as good, if not better, an education than I received.

CALDERON: I know there's always going to be teachers in the classroom that are going to stick it out for the long run.

HALE: I pray, and I write a plan. How am I going to fix this? Why wait for Superman when you got a cape²⁴ in the closet?

FADEL: Miller, Calderon and Hale say the future is in these students. But what their future looks like depends, they say, on if the educators at the front of the room feel valued enough to stay.

1 cons   

n.欺骗，骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗，哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

9 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

10 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

11 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

12 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

16 statistically   

ad.根据统计数据来看，从统计学的观点来看

参考例句：

• The sample of building permits is larger and therefore, statistically satisfying. 建筑许可数的样本比较大，所以统计数据更令人满意。
• The results of each test would have to be statistically independent. 每次试验的结果在统计上必须是独立的。

17 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

18 catered   

提供饮食及服务( cater的过去式和过去分词 )； 满足需要，适合

参考例句：

• We catered for forty but only twenty came. 我们准备了40客饭菜，但只来了20个人。
• They catered for everyone regardless of social rank. 他们为所有人服务而不计较其社会地位。

19 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

20 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

21 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

22 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

23 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

24 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。