Maine School Needs A Language Teacher, Buys Computer Program Instead

The school advertised for a teacher to guide students through Spanish and French, but no one applied to teach them what "con rapidez" or "rapidement" means.

A school in Madison, Maine wanted to bring in a human being into the classroom, but chose the second option when none applied.

Their principal Jessica Ward thought about it and, in a moment of sheer brilliance, ordered a software program called Rosetta Stone that will teach the kids in the absence of a real teacher. The school used the money that was budgeted for a teacher to purchase the software.

The principal said the situation isn't perfect, but Rosetta Stone was the best option this year.

So, along with the software, the school has an Ed Tech to supervise the students and administer this program. Remember when you went to school and your regular teacher couldn't make it to class and you had a substitute? What could go wrong?

There is hope however, since kids are so adaptable and computer literate that this just might work, kind of like "distance learning" where the instructor is in a remote location and the student is at another campus.

I didn't realize that a unfilled teacher position was such a big story, until I did a little searching, and then it all came back to me.

My wife Janice was an Ed Tech for several years and she finally decided that kids who weren't ready to learn and all the "politics" involved in the educational setting made it almost impossible to continue. She left teaching. I thought the problem was specific to Maine, but  it's even a big deal here in New Hampshire.

There just aren't enough teachers to go around.

Across the country, and here in New Hampshire, science teachers are considered a “critical shortage area,” specifically in middle school and some high school science classes. When a critical shortage area is declared, school districts can hire people without teaching degrees in these positions as long as the person holds a bachelor’s degree in the subject area and has passed the PRAXIS exam required to teach in New Hampshire.

So when these kids are done learning Spanish and French from a software program, perhaps they'll realize that helping others to learn is a noble calling and will actually become, you know, TEACHERS.