A teacher shortage looms nationwide

October 15, 1998
Web posted at: 10:07 p.m. EDT (0207 GMT)

CANTON, Michigan (CNN) -- It's a matter of elementary math: More teachers for the nation's schools mean fewer students per classroom. Schools in Michigan are carrying that equation further, by hoping that more teachers also will equal higher-quality education.

President Bill Clinton's call for $1.1 billion to boost the teaching force made it into the proposed budget bill that Congress is expected to vote on Friday.

Chuck Little, superintendent of Michigan's Plymouth-Canton School District, said he hopes to receive enough money from the new budget to hire 40 to 50 new teachers.

The district has 16,000 students and a student-teacher ratio of about 26-to-1.

The Plymouth-Canton School District has a student-to-teacher ratio of 26-to-1

"If we could get those numbers down, especially in the lower elementary grades, to something in the lower 20s or less, it would be very helpful," Little said.

"Lower class size allows teachers to give more attention to students," said Ed Umstead of the Dearborn Federation of Teachers. "It also creates a better discipline situation and allows for students to achieve at the high standards we want them to achieve."

It remains unclear exactly how much each school district will receive and whether the funds will be granted in a lump sum.

Regardless of how it's distributed, some educators have expressed concern about how the money will be spent. They point to the case of federal funds allocated to cities for additional police officers, most of which ended up going toward administrative costs.

"I'd be foolish to ignore the fact that, very often, lump sums of money never reach the kids," Little said.

Coupled with that concern is the fact that a teacher shortage now looms nationwide. The additional funding may not be enough to significantly lower class sizes.