Ruralite Cafe: Published 02/27/03

By Lisa Majors-Duff - News Editor

Are you ready for a change?

State education officials have been telling us for years that North Carolina is facing a teacher shortage. Estimates put the need for new teachers next year alone at 12,000. And since some 5,000 new teachers are projected to graduate from state universities and colleges next year, and only 3,200 of them will take teaching positions in the state, school systems will be scrambling to fill 8,800 classrooms with qualified teachers in as little as six months from now.

In an attempt to "creatively" address the state's teacher shortage, the N.C. Business Committee for Education, a think tank put together by the governor, has launched Teach4NC, a campaign with its main thrust a web site geared toward luring professionals from other fields into teaching through a lateral-entry program.

"With the tremendous teacher shortage in North Carolina, we must find creative ways to bring qualified teachers into our classroom," N.C. Gov. Mike Easley said recently. "Until now, there has been no single resource explaining the different options available for qualified people who want to be teachers. The Teach4NC web site is an important part of our efforts to recruit teachers in the state."

While statewide 12,000 teachers will be required, Jackson County's annual teacher turnover rate is 14.4 percent, which is higher than the state average of 12.4 percent.

"It's time to aggressively recruit qualified teachers through both the traditional and alternative routes," said state Superintendent Mike Ward. "Lateral-entry teachers offer a wealth of experience and expertise. They can be a tremendous asset to the classroom."

Melanie McCord and Jamye Christie are examples of two Jackson County educators who left first careers to make a difference in the classroom. McCord, who was in private practice as a psychologist for 10 years, is in her second year of teaching first-graders at Cullowhee Valley School.

"In my private practice, I could only reach one child at a time," McCord said. "I enjoy being able to reach more kids at school. My favorite part of teaching is getting to know each of the students on an individual basis and finding the unique strengths in each of them."

Christie began teaching when she applied for a social work position, which turned out to be teaching English as a second language. She discovered she loves teaching and left her 12-year career as a counselor for the classroom.

"When I was in college, I had no thoughts of teaching. Now, I'm very happy as a teacher," Christie said. "Teaching also makes it possible to have the same schedule as my family and be more active in my kids' lives."

A second-grade teacher at Scotts Creek School, Christie is working toward permanent certification.

Here's what some other folks around the state had to say about leaving other careers behind for the classroom:

"Teaching is a way for me to contribute to society. One day these kids will be teachers themselves or lawyers, doctors, executives, and they all started with teachers. Without teachers, these kids wouldn't be able to read, write, add or subtract to be successful in their lives. My hope is to see all my students become better citizens and lifelong learners." - Wrenn Turner, Pasquotank County Schools

"Lateral-entry teachers are key to education. They bring so much life experience and life skills to the classroom. They offer a real-world application that kids can see and relate to. Lateral-entry teachers bring a whole new dimension to the teaching field." - Christopher English, Tyrrell County Schools

"To me, teaching is a ministry. I enjoy teaching because it is about people. You measure your accomplishments in 'people,' not in 'profit and loss.'" - Allison Britton, Stokes County Schools

"I started teaching because I was ready for a change. As a nurse, I always liked educating my patients, and most of all I wanted better hours so that I could be there for my teenage son. I like teaching because it is challenging. I've learned a lot about myself and that you are never too old to change professions and do something different." - Rita Dougan, Randolph County Schools

"Teaching is the most rewarding job a person could ever have. I've worked lots of different jobs, and this by far is the most rewarding and special job. I love that I can make an impact on a child's life. I'm able to teach them something, even something little, that will make a difference to them and their life. Plus, it's a stable job." - Gloria Bennett, Sampson County Schools

"I enjoy teaching because I get to offer my hands-on, real-world experience to kids. Because of my experience before teaching, I feel I can give them a better understanding of what to expect. I teach a lot of career pathways kids who aren't going to college, so what I teach them is used in the real world. When these kids come back to visit, they tell me they are using what I taught them. That is rewarding." - Dewayne Krege, Avery County Schools

If after a ho-hum day at the office, during which you asked yourself many times over what you accomplished, you find yourself downloading job descriptions at Monster.com, use a few more keystrokes and see where your services might be put to better use. Maybe you'll find your calling is in the classroom.

Back to Archive: 02/27/03.