 |
| Will future teachers have to leave Laredo in order to "commence" their careers? |
For many years, UISD and LISD had been hiring teachers as fast as they were graduating from TAMIU. Even graduates with other majors were going through alternative certification programs and quickly being hired. Now, things have changed drastically. TAMIU continues to turn out many future teachers but the jobs are no longer there. In May of 2010, TAMIU had a graduating class of 500. Just this past December, about 520 students achieved graduation. A great number of these were education majors: future teachers and administrators. Although I don't have an exact number as to how many of the 1,020 graduates were prospective teachers, It might just be a majority of them.
Sadly, the job market for teachers in Laredo has changed drastically in the last 2 to 3 years. UISD is considering a full blown hiring freeze. LISD has recently re-assigned about half of their campus IT personnel to vacant teaching positions instead of hiring anyone new. Furthermore, the Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is recommending that the classroom size limit (for elementary) be raised from 22 to 25 students per teacher. Statewide, it's estimated that this move alone would eliminate up to 12,000 elementary school teachers.
As the 2011 Texas legislative session starts, the outlook continues to be grim. The current budget, which is for 2012-2013, has a shortfall of anywhere from $15B to $27B. Public education, higher education and health and human services have already been mentioned as the sectors most likely to be cut.
In consideration of all of the above, TAMIU needs to redefine itself if it is to continue to be an effective university for our region. It has to respond to the changing realities of our economy and job markets. Otherwise, we will be going back in time to when most Laredoans with a college degree had to leave town in order to have any semblance of a chance for a rewarding career.
The woes you mentioned in regards to the state's budget shortfalls have been long in coming, particularly since Texas considers higher taxes (or a state income tax) to make up the deficits as the third rail of state politics.
ReplyDeleteSo, the changes and redefinitions you speak of in your last paragraph are likely coming in the form of online classes to eliminate face-to-face instruction altogether.
It is already being deemed a success by some based on what The University of Phoenix, Kaplan, and a few others are doing to remain profitable. So, I envision similar trends occurrng.
However, don't cry for all Laredo educators, particularly the higher ups.
School administrators in public and higher education are pretty savvy in saving their own jobs and making themselves appear indispensable.
I tried to understand LISD's organizational chart
, for instance, but soon gave up and got a headache in the process.
My guess is the humanities will suffer the most in the grand scheme of things.
So, we'll see what happens.
If there's something the higher-ups are good at - you've said it. The arts and humanities always get the cuts. Online classes for the growing ?????? of Phoenixes around the country. (??? cause I don't know what you call a group of Phoenixes....how about a McCain of Phoenixes?)
ReplyDelete