- A former student voices his concerns for his peers and what he thinks they could be missing out on.
- Manitowoc Superintendent weighs in on the next steps in solving the teacher shortage crisis, and why the school system needed a change.
- New curriculum changes students and parents can expect at the Manitowoc schools.
A nationwide teacher shortage has impacted schools all over. At Manitowoc Lincoln High School, those effects can certainly be felt with multiple teaching positions still open as the school year is set to begin.
Breyden Myer graduated from Manitowoc Lincoln in June. A school where he says he really enjoyed his time.
"I've had some teachers before that have made learning a very engaging experience," Myer says.
This was a huge bonus for him.
"It really helped me succeed and definitely helped with my scores," Myer says.
This is a quality of the school's teachers that Brayden fears will not survive the shortage.
"They're not able to offer that one-on-one experience with each student as much as they used to be," Myer says.
This is a fear that is shared by Manitowoc School District Superintendent Jim Feil. He believes the shortage may be due to how schools utilize their teachers.
"We can sometimes consume our teachers with everything but their profession, in terms of what they have been trained to do," Feil says. "And that's teaching kids and kids learning."
The shortage poses a threat, but this year the Manitowoc School Board has adopted a new curriculum that revolves around engagement and a personalized approach for each student and teacher.
"We have some ambitious goals but we feel like we're ready," Feil says. "Yeah, it's been challenging but we've got great people in our department."
The curriculum is called Success For All. Under the new approach, teachers will be given more creative control and knowledge of future lessons. Students will be broken into groups based on comprehension skills and learning speed to maximize growth.
The curriculum has been received with enthusiasm from the faculty and the public, including a very excited former student.
"That's great that both the community and the staff are looking at this and saying, 'Hey, this is a great changeup'," Myer says. "So, I'm glad that everyone is excited about this."
Although a few positions remain open, Superintendent Feil says that the Manitowoc School Board has set the district up for future success.
