Government and Community Relations
Speeches and Presentations
Community Colleges Key to Providing New Teachers Janet J. Glocker Vice President, Academic Services Messenger Post Newspapers 08/21/2002 As an educator for nearly 30 years with over 40 years experience and as president of the area’s largest college, I am concerned about recent headlines detailing the financial challenges facing many of our area’s school districts. I share the same apprehension with many in our community about maintaining vital programs in the current economic climate, and about how the students, many of whom will join their peers from throughout the county at Monroe Community College, will weather the storm academically. It is appropriate that school boards and voters focus on the economics of school district finances. But we must also be aware of another issue that impacts every school district, urban and suburban, local and national. Simply put, there is another issue right in front of us that requires more discussion. a teacher shortage is looming. By some estimates, the nation will need over 2.7 million new teachers in the coming decade to fill the void created by retirements, attrition, increasing numbers of students and smaller class sizes. As a region, we are not immune from this condition which could result in the most serious teacher shortage we’ve experienced in decades. According to the Monroe County School Boards Association, the Rochester area is already experiencing shortages of math, science and foreign language teachers. According to the New York State Education Department, the Genesee-Finger Lakes region needs library/media specialists, language teachers and career/technical educators. And as it stands today, existing baccalaureate teacher preparation programs at our area four-year colleges and universities may not have the capacity to produce all the teachers that will be needed. Community colleges must step up as partners, not competitors, to help fill the gap. In fact, few organizations are as prepared or as appropriate to address a shared challenge of this magnitude as community colleges. To be sure, all of higher education has an interest in working together to tackle the problem, because without enough good teachers at the primary and secondary school levels, our work at the college level becomes much more difficult. Beyond the overall number of teachers needed in the coming years, increasing diversity within the teaching ranks is also important. More so than many four-year institutions, community colleges have non-traditional and underrepresented students, ethnic minorities, second-career adults and others. This characteristic uniquely positions community colleges as necessary components in the supply side of the teacher equation. In keeping with our shared mission of responding to community needs, Monroe Community College and other community colleges are taking on new roles to help fill the looming void. For the first time in its history, MCC is proposing three teacher education associate degree programs and one teacher assistant certificate program to the State Education Department and the State University of New York. We are also offering a teacher preparation advisement sequence in the Fall 2002 semester and have revised our 2+2 programs in the field of education with area four-year partnership colleges. With an associate's degree program, we intend to give our students education courses and classroom observation time at the community college level, before they transfer to a four-year school. Our hope is that early and increased exposure to education classes and fieldwork will enhance the retention rate of those who go on to study at the four-year level and help students determine early if teaching is the field for them. Because of our geographic dispersion, our ability to adapt quickly to local needs, and our expertise in teaching, community colleges are well positioned to help prepare teachers. While some states like Florida are granting community colleges authority to offer bachelor’s degrees in teacher education, MCC is interested in building on its existing relationships with four-year institutions and developing strong two-year transfer programs in teacher education. Keeping an eye on finances is important to all taxpayers in every school district. But if our focus is too myopic, we may lose sight of the whole bigger picture that is quality teaching and learning. MCC has been a community partner in developing homegrown solutions in the past. When it comes to the education of our young people, the entire community must come together to ensure that we have quality teachers today and into the future. |
