Hacker News Reader

Comment by 535188B17C93743 | Hacker News Reader

My mom works in a middle school with a newly hired "severe behavior class" teacher who is woefully under-qualified. Because the new teacher is unable to adequately do her job, several administrators and other teachers routinely have to spend their extra time pitching in to take case-load from this teacher or chase kids around the school when she can't handle them. It's absolutely bonkers.

If anything, hiring inept people will make the qualified folks want to stick around less. This has the opportunity to be bad-upon-bad! Yay!

View on HN

The thing is that is often not the lack of meeting the occupational licensing requirements that make a difference there. You can get the license without the ability to control a classroom. This may open things up to people who can do that, but lack the piece of paper.

And this will also open things up to people who can do neither. Lowering the bar for teachers will only be a bad thing at scale.

One truth/joke from covid was that it made it clear the primary role of schools is daycare while parents work.

>This may open things up to people who can do that, but lack the piece of paper.

Yeah, I can't see why someone _would_ do it if they _could_ but aren't being paid well. The problem is motivating people with the skills to want to work... and it's hard to do that at borderline poverty entry-level wages.

The 4 large schools districts near my city started this school year anywhere from 50-300 teachers short, many of those positions in special education. They are hiring literally everyone that meets the qualifications on paper, including those that are working towards credentials.

Edit: I should add they still do need to pass a background check.

I mean no amount of qualifications can prepare you for that kind of environment if the student to teacher ratio Id too high

The previous teacher who ran the classroom for 30 years was fantastic and always had it under control.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com