During the last fifteen years concern has been growing regarding the shortage of teachers in New York City. The nation doesn't produce enough teachers and shortages of qualified candidates in particular fields (mathematics and science) and particular locations (primarily inner city and rural) are chronic. I know that at the present time there are two different responses to that question. Some people are suggesting importing teachers from other counties with special expertise in math and science. I think that reform of education system will solve the problem of shortage and attract American teachers to the schools.
             The prestige of any occupation depends mainly on how much money it is possible to make by doing the job. It's very prestigious to be a doctor or a lawyer today. When students choose their future profession, one of the parameters they consider is salary. Being a teacher equals not being well paid. So many students choose not to go into that field. Increasing of teachers' salaries should be the first step in the reform. It will help this extremely important profession to become prestigious. That in turn will attract more students to education programs. A lot of mathematicians, physicians, and biologists don't teach because they get higher salaries doing research in laboratories and institutes. They don't want to live from hand to mouth by doing a thankless job.
             Too many bureaucracies regulate our education system. These bureaucracies make poor choices of what subjects should be covered in the classroom and what instructional methods should be used. Teachers do not have any choice about how to present the material. Principals run their schools not as they should but as the school bureaucracy dictates Teachers cannot be creative in a modern school because heavy regulations in public education prevent them from going their own way. The main task of teachers have become preparing students for differen...