“I think that when we talk about teacher shortages, we often talk about money or compensation, but it goes way deeper than that.”

By: Fredericka Brown
Parent, Grand Rapids, MI 

I am a parent of the GRPS public school system in Grand Rapids MI. I am also certified as a preschool teacher as well. I also am a parent organizer, and I hear the collective voices of parents in the community and schools.

One thing I can say is that I have noticed as a parent how children react to the teacher shortage. I think that when we talk about teacher shortages, we often talk about money or compensation, but it goes way deeper than that. It is also a matter of mental health and stability for the scholars in our district.

Being in the preschool classroom, one thing is for certain: If teachers are absent, it can throw a child’s day off. Children get used to seeing and being cared for by a particular teacher and have built a routine. I’ve missed a day of work before and the first thing the children would say is, ‘Where were you yesterday? I missed you.’

Fast forward to later years in school: when students/scholars are not being taught by a consistent teacher or professional, it can throw them off. There are certain norms and practices that they may be accustomed to, and one bad encounter with a “substitute,” or even another staff member stepping in can impact their ability to work productively.

My oldest son had this encounter at school and in a split second, he had a mental health crisis, and it was due largely in part to his “normal” teacher not? being there. He did not feel he was being listened to and because the teacher was unaware of how to handle the situation, things escaped and led to suspension.

I will say, that as an organizer, one of the biggest issues that I hear about the teacher shortage is the lack of access to the teaching profession by people of color. Oftentimes, the teacher who teaches does not represent the majority of students in the classroom. So, I would note that we cannot address the teacher shortage, without addressing the lack of representation of teachers, and educators, of color.