Education

Teach us. Please.

By Elizabeth Rich — July 27, 2007 1 min read
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In the wake of the vast teacher shortages sweeping the country, states are digging in to recruit. To fill vacancies, many are reaching beyond their state lines and others are offering enticing incentive packages. One Washington, DC suburb hopes to lure teachers with student appeals.

Prince George’s County in Maryland is sponsoring a $300,000 national ad campaign, which features a dozen students of all ages and races appealing for teachers. In one ad, 14-year-old Amber, an African American student asks, “Teach me to grow up to be a Pediatrician. Please.” In another, Jordan, a high school freshman asks, “Teach me to be an Electrical Engineer. Please.” John White, spokesman for the PG County school system, explained that the campaign “lets us put a face on the school system to let people know how diverse our students are.”

The county is also offering steep incentive packages, including new laptop computers, loan forgiveness plans, and relocation expenses.

A version of this news article first appeared in the Web Watch blog.