I think that the biggest challenge that education faces right now in this economic crisis would have to be retaining teachers and staff. Schools are still expected to help children learn and achieve, yet class sizes are increasing and activities are cut. Here in CA we have been very hard hit. There is not a school in my district who has not lost at least one teacher and one staff person, if not more. Education is one of the few careers in which an employee, with at least a bachelor's and a credential, can expect to make about the same money as a beginning court reporter. It is no wonder that many beginning teachers leave the profession after 5 years. When I began teaching I was told to only expect intrinsic rewards. That is the warm, happy feeling a teachers get when a kid you have worked with for the better part of the year passes the exit exam they had failed twice already. Intrinsic rewards are fantastic, but do not pay the mortgage. If we as a nation expect to hire and retain quality teachers we must pay them in a manner that is reflective of the education we expect them to have, and the work we expect them to do. We cannot skimp here. We should not be letting the history instructor teach PE because we just can't afford to hire one, or vice versa.
Other problems education faces are a crumbling infrastructure, archaic policies in regards to funding education, all while citizens complain about bad teachers and not enough accountability. The accountability issue just gets me. I am beaten over the head with accountability every day as a teacher, all the way down to a specific grade on a specific assignment, which must match with a specific state standard. Not many other professions have that type of accountability; certainly not wall street brokers or bank CEO's, if so we would not be where we are right now. I am all for accountability, I think it helps good teachers shine, and shed's light on the activities of not so good teachers. I would just think that with high stakes comes, (if not high then at least moderate) good pay. Honestly, I love what I do, but I have to work two jobs to make ends meet. If somebody offered me a position at some nondescript company, making what both jobs pay, I would not think twice. I was teacher of the year in two different venues this year. I hold a BA and MA in History, and I am working on my Ph.D. in Education. I have devoted decades of my life to education. I take every extra activity job that comes down the pike, sometimes 50+ hour weeks, just to make ends meet here. How long am I expected to live this way?
This same conversation is going on across the nation. Just look at this article http://www.nytimes.com/...
or this government paper about all the areas, in each state, that the federal government expects will have teacher shortages
http://www.ed.gov/...
Dealing with these issues has been last on the list for far too long. Certainly we are not going to sit and whine about it, we will continue to do the absolute best job we can with what we have. Right now my class texts are being held together with duct tape, this is no joke, and I will have to make them last at least another year. That is the contribution of education; continuing to support, teach, care for and foster each child as long as we can, until we as teachers and support staff must move on to better paying jobs for the sake of our own families and our sanity