WEBVTT - Staff Shortages Top the List of Parents’ Concerns

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Quick Takes Tim Stinovic on Bloomberg Radio. Lots of

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<v Speaker 1>news coverage over the weekend about the teacher shortage in

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<v Speaker 1>the United States. Bloomberg, by the way, reporting that US

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<v Speaker 1>Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging states to use federal

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<v Speaker 1>stimulus money to tackle a national teacher shortage that's prompted

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<v Speaker 1>some districts to shortened school weeks in the upcoming year.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's a tough spot for many school systems around

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<v Speaker 1>the country. Dr Liz brook is Chief Learning Officer at

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<v Speaker 1>Lexia Learning. They focus on literacy learning, and she is

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<v Speaker 1>with us once again on the phone from Boston. Dr Brooke,

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<v Speaker 1>nice to have you back on Bloomberg. You know, we

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<v Speaker 1>last talked about a year ago. All this past week

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<v Speaker 1>and I kept hearing or reading about the shortage of

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<v Speaker 1>teachers in the United States. What are you seeing and

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<v Speaker 1>hearing about this specifically? Yes, thanks so much for having

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<v Speaker 1>me back on UM. We recently did a pole Or

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<v Speaker 1>survey with Harris of over a thousand parents across the country,

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<v Speaker 1>and seventy six percent of parents are most concerned about

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<v Speaker 1>the national teacher shortage, So we're absolutely hearing what you're hearing.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, when we asked about the top concerns, we

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<v Speaker 1>thought it might be unfinished learning, but that really came

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<v Speaker 1>in eighth on the list. So the teacher shortage is

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<v Speaker 1>definitely top of mind for parents out there. And how

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<v Speaker 1>does the shortage get better? I mean, how do you

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<v Speaker 1>attract teachers or is this more about retention? I imagine

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<v Speaker 1>the two go hand in hand. Absolutely. I think the

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<v Speaker 1>first thing that most people turn to, which is pay,

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<v Speaker 1>and absolutely our our teachers deserve UM the pay for

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<v Speaker 1>the jobs that they're doing. But it's also about UM

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<v Speaker 1>making sure that the teachers we have feel supported. And

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<v Speaker 1>when we think about the research out there, we know

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<v Speaker 1>that teachers are one of the most critical aspects of

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<v Speaker 1>a child success. So making sure that one they understand

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<v Speaker 1>that they have the support to get the skills needed,

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<v Speaker 1>so professional learning. For example, there's been a lot in

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<v Speaker 1>the press around teaching reading and the science of reading,

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<v Speaker 1>so making sure they feel equipped with that knowledge as

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<v Speaker 1>well as making sure that they feel like they have

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<v Speaker 1>a void. And what's happening in the schools and I

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<v Speaker 1>feel like we have to address to the elephant in

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<v Speaker 1>the teacher's living room, and that is the starting salary

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<v Speaker 1>for teachers in the US Bloomberg put out earlier this

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<v Speaker 1>year averaged seventy dollars for one school year. That's a

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<v Speaker 1>four percent decrease from the prior year when adjusted for inflation.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, and I want to get into more specifically

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<v Speaker 1>the work you guys do to help teachers and assist

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<v Speaker 1>them and how important it is when it comes to

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<v Speaker 1>um literacy and reading. But what's the role of compensation

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<v Speaker 1>do you think, especially in a tight labor market where

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<v Speaker 1>teachers could go elsewhere if they want, why don't we

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<v Speaker 1>value to teachers more? Right, that's a great question. I

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<v Speaker 1>know I started my career as the first grade teacher

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<v Speaker 1>as well, and um, it is absolutely um something that

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<v Speaker 1>we need to address. We need to compensate them more.

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<v Speaker 1>But again, most folks don't go into teaching for the money,

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<v Speaker 1>although I will say they definitely that is something that

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<v Speaker 1>we need to think about. But it's about empowering them

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<v Speaker 1>and giving them autonomy and the support they need to

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<v Speaker 1>reach their students in the classroom. But absolutely, compensation is

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<v Speaker 1>something we need to consider as well. It's a one

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<v Speaker 1>to punch really, and you have mentioned that UM, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>you were surprised to see fears about learning loss, for example,

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<v Speaker 1>farther down on the list than compared to prior years.

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<v Speaker 1>What were some of the other surprising findings that stuck

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<v Speaker 1>out to you? Sure? So one of the things that

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<v Speaker 1>was surprising that UM, seventy son of the parents felt

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<v Speaker 1>that their students were going to start this year UM

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<v Speaker 1>on or above grade level. However percent felt that they

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<v Speaker 1>were still experiencing that pandemic related learning laws and forty

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<v Speaker 1>percent of them wanted more one on one time with

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<v Speaker 1>the teachers. So there was a little bit of UM

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<v Speaker 1>teachers or sorry parents feeling optimistic coming into the school year,

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<v Speaker 1>but still feeling like they needed that one on one

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<v Speaker 1>time UM with teachers to try to make up from

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<v Speaker 1>that pandemic related learning law. So what do we then,

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<v Speaker 1>based on kind of your findings, what's on the mind

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<v Speaker 1>of parents, and what you're hearing from the educational community

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<v Speaker 1>about things that we can anticipate for students and trends

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to school year. So one of the

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<v Speaker 1>biggest things we know is that students are going to

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<v Speaker 1>need personalized learning, and that's why these parents are thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about one on one time, right, It's you can't teach

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<v Speaker 1>to the group. You need to really address personalized skills.

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<v Speaker 1>And so that's where making sure that teachers understand how

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<v Speaker 1>to do that by understanding the why of teaching reading

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<v Speaker 1>through that science of reading professional learning. One of the

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<v Speaker 1>things we offer is letters professional Learning that several states

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<v Speaker 1>have adopted. But then also making sure they have programs

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<v Speaker 1>in the classroom that can help them personalize that instruction.

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<v Speaker 1>And one way to do that is by leveraging technology

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<v Speaker 1>to personalize that instruction when they're not able to be

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<v Speaker 1>with the teacher. Alright, we're gonna leave it on that note. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>certainly something it's very relevant as we get ready and

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<v Speaker 1>already kids are heading back to school around the United States.

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<v Speaker 1>Dr Liz Brooke, Chief Learning Officer Alexia Learning, joining us

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<v Speaker 1>on the phone from Boston.