There are many ways to determine deficiencies in our public education system. We've been determining them for so many decades, actually, that deficiency is more of an assumption now than a hypothesis in need of determination. It's neither my intention, nor am I qualified, to make a comprehensive assessment of Oklahoma's public education system -- our department of education handles that itself (we got a D+ last year, in 2014). I'm merely trying to give a characteristic, though admittedly incomplete depiction of our public school system. I think the TSA (Teacher Shortage Area) reports do a decent job.
There are standardized criteria according to which a state may legitimately claim to be suffering a teacher shortage in a particular area. Above 17 such areas are listed. This graphic was composed from Oklahoma's claims submissions for the school years ending from 1991 to 2016 (the States' Departments of Education submit the claims in advance). It's sad to see that Oklahoma failed to submit reports during 2001, 2002, and 2004. Sad because, according to the U.S. Department of Education, it only takes about 80 equivalent work hours to complete the forms -- a mere week's work for two people -- but what it does for the state and, equally importantly, for young as-of-yet unjaded teachers -- is enormously helpful. If you submit these reports, the Federal government will subsidize teachers who move to your state and mend those gaps in the faculty fabric by reducing, commuting, or erasing their student loan debt.
Unsurprisingly, as you can see from the graphic, Oklahoma has had a shortage of science teachers every year since 1991. What's more disconcerting is the shear increase in shortage areas in the past several years. We've been desperate for school counselors, school psychologists, any elementary school teachers, english teachers, special education teachers, foreign language teachers, science teachers, and math teachers every year for the last four years. It's rather apparent from the graph that we are experiencing a teacher-shortage-crisis, but in case you wanted to know the specific amounts of the shortages, the graphic below gives those figures simply.
One data point represented in the above graph that I am glad to see, is that our public school system has only reported a shortage of librarians twice, in the 2009-10 claims. I think our libraries are doing well considering the now incessant hardship faced by libraries everywhere, and considering the disgraceful lack of support they receive from their overseers.
Unsurprisingly, as you can see from the graphic, Oklahoma has had a shortage of science teachers every year since 1991. What's more disconcerting is the shear increase in shortage areas in the past several years. We've been desperate for school counselors, school psychologists, any elementary school teachers, english teachers, special education teachers, foreign language teachers, science teachers, and math teachers every year for the last four years. It's rather apparent from the graph that we are experiencing a teacher-shortage-crisis, but in case you wanted to know the specific amounts of the shortages, the graphic below gives those figures simply.
One data point represented in the above graph that I am glad to see, is that our public school system has only reported a shortage of librarians twice, in the 2009-10 claims. I think our libraries are doing well considering the now incessant hardship faced by libraries everywhere, and considering the disgraceful lack of support they receive from their overseers.