HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers are in the middle of budget talks in Harrisburg and a group of student teachers are getting loud about the state’s teacher shortage.
Future educators and education advocates are raising their voices, determined to address the shortage of teachers in Pennsylvania classrooms.
Shippensburg University student Maggie Shatzer is about to start student teaching, preparing to juggle all the pressures that come with it.
“It is definitely a challenge to be able to give your 100% all whenever you have so many other expectations that you have to fulfill,” Shatzer explained.
Millersville University Education Major Paige Batdorf is struggling to overcome the financial burden, saying she’s running out of time.
“I currently have two jobs, which one is an online job, so I have to stay up late nights to put hours into that,” Batdorf said.
Last year’s budget included a student-teacher stipend program, offering students up to $15,000 while completing the required work, but that funding was limited.
“I hope to get it, but there’s a very big possibility I’m not going to,” Batdorf explained. “I found out there’s only enough money in there for 600 to 750 students to get it and 4,500 applied.”
It’s why educators are asking the state to fully fund the program with $75 million this year.
Hannah Buckley, who’s preparing to begin student teaching as part of her degree program at Shippensburg University, said it would give every student teacher a big break.
“I’ll be like, I can afford groceries this week, I can eat dinner or I can do this really cool lesson that I found on Pinterest with my kids that I think they’ll love,” Buckley said.
While colleges are graduating a new round of educators this month, it’s not expected to take care of the problem.
Student teachers said the funding would go a long way.
“A big part of it is teachers can’t even get their foot in the door because they can’t afford to get through the process of college,” Shatzer added. “If we are able to fund student teachers through that process so they can finish out their four years, their four and a half years, whatever it takes to get there, then you’re going to have a lot better results, a lot more teachers in the door.”
Republican and Democrat state lawmakers joined the future teachers during the rally, but it’s unclear if they’ll authorize the funding before the budget is finalized.
Education advocates are also asking for a $10 million investment in grow-your-own programs, hoping to encourage high school students to consider a career in teaching before they get to college.