Good morning!
Politics is at the top of the agenda today here at The 74. First, in a story published in partnership with Oklahoma Voice, Linda Jacobson introduces Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, a once-beloved, former small-town history teacher who had never run a school or district — but is now leading an aggressive charge against “woke ideology,” supposedly radical teachers, a "terrorist" teachers union and the "myth" of separation of church and state. And we look at the track record of the right-wing group Moms for Liberty in forcing out district leaders around the country.
Mike Antonucci examines newly released American Federation of Teachers membership and finance numbers, and, in case you missed it, check out Chad Aldeman's exclusive interactive map showing changes in teacher staffing and student enrollment in 9,800 districts.
Lastly, a program note: Join The 74 and the Progressive Policy Institute next Wednesday for a deep dive into how education innovations in Denver are giving parents more choice and school leaders more autonomy. The virtual conversation begins at 3 p.m. Eastern. Sign up right here.
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Ryan Walters was one of the most well-liked teachers at McAlester High, known for skillfully explaining complex social and political movements in AP history class. But former students and colleagues barely recognize the man who last year was elected Oklahoma’s schools superintendent. Walters's relentless crusade against “woke ideology” and attacks on educators have pushed the former small-town teacher into the national spotlight, alarming even some fellow Republicans. One lawmaker told reporter Linda Jacobson, “This guy cares more about getting on Fox News than he does about doing his job.”
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Moms for Liberty, the conservative parents organization, boasts that it flipped 17 school boards in last year’s general election. Since then, superintendents in nine of those districts have resigned or been fired, often after a period of conflict with board members. “The one thing that districts can point to that will demonstrate change is a new superintendent,” said Andrea Messina of the Florida School Boards Association. Linda Jacobson reports.
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As federal stimulus funds recede, schools are cutting back on recovery programs and are reportedly 100,000 mental health counselors short. Schools can't hire or spend their way out of this crisis if they keep doing more of the same, says contributor Joan Wasser Gish; they must seek new ways to address students’ mental health and well-being. One approach is integrated support — organized efforts that use existing staff to coordinate responses to students' needs, focus on every kid and crunch data to find trends and gaps.
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To understand the teacher labor market, you have to hold two competing narratives in your head. On one hand, teacher turnover hit new highs, morale is low and schools are facing shortages. At the same time, public schools employ more teachers than before COVID, while serving 1.9 million fewer students. Student-teacher ratios are near all-time lows. Contributor Chad Aldeman and Eamonn Fitzmaurice, The 74’s art and technology director, plotted these changes on an exclusive, interactive map — and explain how they're putting districts in financial peril.
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Each year, the American Federation of Teachers reports its income, expenditures and membership to the U.S. Labor Department. Its disclosures for its fiscal year of July 2022 through June 2023 show a gain of 30,000 members over that period. This, says Mike Antonucci, would be a triumph if it didn’t come with a string of asterisks. Many of those new names are retirees, and a substantial number are part-time instructors — which doesn't help the union's bottom line. Find out more in this week's Union Report.
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