PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — As college freshmen prepare to start school this fall semester and decide which major they would like to pursue, there’s one career path that’s become less popular over the past few decades -- education.
Leaders involved in the Florida education system say it’s not surprising.
“We have the fourth largest economy in America. We’re 48th in teacher pay,” said Lee Bryant, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association.
Between low wages and new legislation outlining strict do’s and don’ts across the state, Andrew Spar of the Florida Education Association says it will be tougher for Florida to recruit new teachers.
“This vilification of teachers and public schools [is leading] fewer and fewer college students choosing education as their career path,” he said.
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that while enrollment in college has gone up over several decades, choosing to graduate with a degree in education has fallen.
That data shows almost 90,000 fewer people graduated with education degrees in 2021 than in 1971.
Bryant says it’s not surprising that some current educators are leaving the state, while future educators may be afraid to come.
“There’s a massive amount of ‘I’m going to get in trouble if I say this,’” he said. “I know LGBTQ teachers that can’t put a picture, or they don’t think they can put a picture of their spouse on their desk because they’re worried about the ramifications.”
The Florida Department of Education listed seven different subjects with critical-level vacancies for the 2022-23 school year.