Schools in Fla. facing teacher shortages
The Osceola school district recently partnered with Valencia College to create the Future Teachers Academy, which will offer scholarships to education majors who agree to teach in county schools after graduation.
Education program enrollment has dropped because "college students are not convinced that teaching will be a rewarding career path," said Pamela Carroll, dean of the University of Central Florida's college of education.
Educators also say relatively low pay and the state's controversial teacher evaluation system, which is tied to standardized tests, has also soured the view of the teaching profession.
Mallory Crider, a University of Central Florida junior majoring in elementary education, said her grandfather, who foots her college bills, initially discouraged her from pursuing a teaching degree, worried she wouldn't earn much.