VOA慢速英语2019 美国教师短缺是一个比想象中更大的问题（在线收听）

Study: America’s Teacher Shortage Is a Bigger Problem than Thought

A new report says the shortage of skilled teachers in the United States is a bigger problem than people may think.

一份新的报告称，美国缺乏熟练教师，这个问题比人们想象得还要严重。

The not-for-profit, Washington-based Economic Policy Institute, or EPI, published the report last week. It was the first in a six-part series that aims to examine the causes of -- and solutions for -- the national teacher shortage in U.S. public schools.

位于华盛顿的非营利性经济政策研究所上周发布了这份报告。这是旨在探讨美国公立学校全国性教师短缺的原因和解决方案的六部曲中的第一部分。

Education experts have long been concerned about rising teacher shortages. The issue has grown more severe in recent years.

教育专家长期以来一直担心教师短缺问题日益严重，这个问题在近年来变得更加严峻。

EPI’s report notes that less than 10 years ago, many teachers were looking for jobs. Then, in 2012, public schools were looking for teachers. That year, the country faced a shortage of 20,000 school teachers.

经济政策研究所的报告指出，不到10年前，很多教师还都在求职。然后到了2012年，公立学校开始寻找教师。那一年，美国面临了2万名教师的短缺。

By the 2017-2018 school year, the country was estimated to have a shortage of over 110,000 teachers. Those numbers come from the Learning Policy Institute.

到了2017-2018学年，美国估计存在超过11万名教师的缺口。这些数字都来自于学习政策研究所。

However, EPI researchers Emma Garcia and Elaine Weiss argue that such estimates are still far too low. They say the estimates do not consider that many current teachers lack necessary training, experience and official approval to teach.

然而，经济政策研究所的研究人员加西亚（Emma Garcia）和韦斯（Elaine Weiss）认为，这显然被低估了。他们表示，这些估算没有考虑到现有的很多教师缺乏必要的培训、经验以及教学正式认证。

Garcia and Weiss found that, nationwide, one-third of teachers do not have an education background in the main subject that they teach. And, more than 20 percent have less than five years of teaching experience. About nine percent are teaching without the usual state certification.

加西亚和韦斯发现，全国范围内有1/3的教师不具备他们所教授的主要科目的教育背景。而且超过20%的教师的教学经验低于5年。大约9%的教师在教学上没有获得通常的州认证。

The study found those numbers to be even greater in high-poverty schools – where more than half of students receive free or reduced-cost meals. In such schools, almost 40 percent of teachers do not have previous education in the main subjects they teach. And about one-quarter have little classroom experience.

该研究发现，这些数字在高贫困学校甚至更高。高贫困学校是指超过一半学生获得免费或低价餐食大学校。在这些学校中，近40%的教师没有接受过他们所教授的主要科目的教育，还有大约1/4的教师教学经验不足。

Why is there a teacher shortage?

为何存在教师短缺？

More and more, qualified educators are either quitting or deciding not to enter the teaching field at all, the EPI report says. Many leave the field because of poor working conditions. They also object to low pay. The average yearly pay for public school teachers has fallen in recent years, even as the cost of living and other expenses continue to rise.

经济政策研究所的报告指出，越来越多的合格教育工作者要么辞职，要么决定离开教学领域。由于工作条件恶劣，很多人离开了这一领域。他们还反对低工资。尽管生活成本和其它费用继续上涨，公立学校教师的平均年薪近年来却有所下降。

In a statement, Garcia said the shortages of skilled teachers “threaten students’ ability to learn and reduce teachers’ effectiveness.” And she noted the high number of teachers who leave their jobs takes economic resources that could be better used somewhere else.

加西亚在一份声明中表示，熟练教师的短缺“威胁到了学生的学习能力，也降低了教师的效率。”她指出，大量离岗教师获得了更好的经济资源。

A recent study by Gallup found that finding and keeping skilled teachers is the number-one concern among public school officials. Sixty-one percent of the superintendents questioned strongly agreed that “recruiting and retaining” good teachers would be a big problem for the schools they oversee in the coming year.

盖洛普公司最近一项调查发现，寻找和留住熟练教师是公立学校官员的头号问题。61%接受调查的管理人员强烈认同，“招聘和留住”优秀教师对他们来年管理的学校来说将是一个大问题。

Gallup noted it was the first time this concern made its list of top issues facing public schools. Usual top concerns include decreasing state budgets for schools and the effects of poverty on student classroom performance.

盖洛普公司指出，这是这个问题首次进入公立学校面临的重大问题的清单。通常最关注的问题包括学校的州预算减少，以及贫困对学生课堂表现的影响。

What are some solutions?

有什么解决方案？

Some states and school districts are trying new methods for finding qualified teachers. This week, lawmakers in South Carolina are considering a proposal that would permit retired teachers to return to their jobs. They would be able to do so while being paid more than the state’s usual maximum earnings for working retirees.

一些州和学区正在尝试寻找合格教师的新方法。本周，南卡罗莱纳州议员正在审议一项允许退休教师重返工作岗位的提案。当他们支付的薪水超过本州退休人员的最高工资时就能实现这点。

And, more American high schools have begun offering classes to prepare their students for a career in teaching. The classes are part of a program called Educators Rising, which aims to ensure new teachers enter the profession with necessary skills and knowledge to succeed. School districts hope the classes can one day help reduce the teacher shortage in their states.

同时，很多美国高中已经开始提供课程，为学生从事教学事业做好准备。这些课程是教育提升项目的一部分，该项目旨在确保新教师以必要技能和知识进入该行业以获得成功。学区希望有一天该课程能有助于降低他们所在州的教师短缺。

Researchers Garcia and Weiss say they hope the EPI’s special series will bring attention to the many factors that have led to the national teacher shortage. Future reports in the series will center on low teacher pay, difficult school environments, a lack of early-career training and schools’ struggle to retain good teachers.

研究人员加西亚和韦斯表示，他们希望经济政策研究所的特别系列报告能够引起人们对导致全国教师短缺的诸多因素的关注。该系列未来的报告将会聚焦在教师低薪酬、困难的学校环境、缺乏早期职业培训以及学校留住优秀教师的努力。

The sixth and final report will offer solutions to address the shortage.

第6份，也就是最后一份报告将会为解决教师短缺问题提供解决方案。

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

previous - adj. existing or happening before the present time

average - adj. a number that is calculated by adding quantities together and then dividing the total by the number of quantities

background - n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past

expense - n. the amount of money that is needed to pay for or buy something

superintendent - n. a person who directs or manages a place, department, organization, etc.

factor - n. something that helps produce or influence a result

maximum - adj. greatest possible in amount or degree

recruit - v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc.

retain - v. to keep (someone) in a position, job, etc.