School districts need more people to consider becoming teachers. The U.S. Department of Education and other groups are trying to get the word out.
The department—along with TEACH.org, a website started by the department and Microsoft that streamlines information for teacher candidates, and One Million Teachers of Color, a campaign started by several education groups to promote educator diversity—has launched a public service awareness campaign to elevate the teaching profession.
“Teachers: Leaders Shaping Lives,” which will air on TV and radio and be featured on social media, aims to “generate a new respect for teachers and motivate people to consider the profession for themselves,” according to a press release. The slogan was chosen to highlight the skills and leadership ability teachers use to prepare students for success.
Interest in the teaching profession among high school seniors and college freshman has fallen 50 percent since the 1990s and 38 percent since 2010, according to a study published last year. As a result, enrollment in teacher-preparation programs has declined, and schools across the country are experiencing teacher shortages.
The campaign got us thinking: What kind of slogan would teachers themselves come up with? We asked EdWeek’s social media followers to give us their best slogan for a teacher recruitment campaign and found they fell into several categories—some inspirational, some reflecting ongoing challenges in the field. Here’s what respondents said.
