There are teachers in every school. What's more important is that the schools, even the ones in Philadelphia, have great teachers. Good teachers bring a lot of things to the classroom. It's hard to say what's most important when it comes to what makes a great teacher: classroom management, subject knowledge, good communication skills with parents, students, and administration, continuing education (which most, if not all, school systems require), or a college degree. All of these are things that a good teacher must have. The Philadelphia Public Schools know this, so they are working very hard to improve the teachers they already have and to find and keep the great teachers that their students deserve.
Teachers don't always look like they just got out of college when they were 21 years old. One way that Philadelphia Schools are trying to get more teachers is by starting a programme for alternative routes to teacher certification. This programme is looking for people who work in the private sector and may want to change careers or have always felt they had something to offer students in Philadelphia Schools. Recruiting people from the business world to become teachers is a popular way for the country as a whole to deal with the critical teacher shortage. There are a lot of people out there who may have never thought about teaching, but who would make great teachers for the schools in Philadelphia.
I know a kindergarten teacher who decided to become a teacher after working in a different field. She used to be in charge of marketing, but two years ago she decided she needed a change. Since she was raising her daughter by herself, she wanted to have the same schedule as her daughter. She has always wanted to be a teacher, and the fact that she can go to work with her daughter made it a good change for her to make. Add to that the fact that she is a great teacher who works hard and wants the best for her students, and voila! There was a birth of a great teacher for Philadelphia Schools.
With the above example, it's easy to see why school districts like the one that serves Philadelphia Schools are turning to private sector workers to pick up the chalk. At the same time, Philadelphia Schools are trying to improve the qualifications of classroom teachers. They are doing this by reducing the number of teachers with emergency certifications (those who are teaching out of their field, like a music teacher who is teaching special ed) and by increasing the number of certified teachers, especially among new teachers. By giving more help with lessons and coaching, the Philadelphia Schools are helping their teachers get better at what they do.
Philadelphia Schools can only hope to get better and raise the bar for their teachers if they focus on getting new teachers, keeping them in the classroom, and making the teachers they already have better.
