Mandy Davis left her job as a private school principal to homeschool her kids after sounding the alarm on bias in the classroom and an ongoing mass exodus of teachers destabilizing the field.
Davis, speaking to Fox News’ Pete Hegseth on Sunday, criticized the American education system for what she called “deep-rooted issues,” some driven by teacher vacancies she says are driving alarming changes nationwide.
“[There’s so much that] parents need to be aware of,” she said on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’
“I talk a lot about the current teacher shortages because it affects so much. It’s causing larger class sizes. With the rise of discipline and behavioral issues in the classroom and the shortage of teachers, that’s not the type of balance we want to see,” she added.
The Education Department said in a press release last year that 44% of schools nationwide reported full or part-time teacher vacancies, a statistic largely blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Special education saw the most severe numbers with 45% of schools citing position vacancies, followed by general elementary school teachers and substitute teachers.
Separate data reported by The Wall Street Journal said 300,000 teachers fled the profession between February 2020 and May 2022, with others indicating they would like to do the same.
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“What’s concerning as a parent is wondering who is going to come into those roles. We’re already seeing dozens of states moving towards changing certifications and license required to try to grow this pool of teachers,” Davis said.
“I’m not sure that’s the best environment we want our children in.”
Behind the growing number of staff shortages, she claimed, are teacher complaints that they feel “unsafe” and “out-of-control” in their own classrooms.
The Washington Post, in a report echoing the foundations of Davis’ concerns, said some students headed back to the classroom last fall only to be greeted by teachers who lacked formal training, writing that states “desperate” to fill vacancies have “relaxed job requirements.”
Florida, for example, introduced an apprenticeship program to allow community college graduates to teach under a mentor as they go on to complete their bachelor’s degree.
Arizona also worked to combat teacher shortages last year by voting to allow substitute teachers to serve as full-time teachers.
