Dr. Ed Moore on Florida Chamber Bottom Line: Attracting Talented Teachers is Key to Future Success

“All the other things we talk about being ready- having the right people, in the right place at right time- if you don’t have a teacher there to cause that to happen, it’s not going to happen.”

Dr. Ed Moore, President of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida

Teachers are an important part of ensuring Florida has a qualified talent pool for the 2 million net new jobs that need to be created between now and 2030.  But according to Dr. Ed Moore, President of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, as Florida, the third most populous state in the nation, continues to grow, our state hasn’t produced many new teachers—and it’s a crisis that’s looming.

“In Florida alone, we produced 29 percent fewer teachers over the most recent five year period, while we’ve been growing 350-400,000 people a year, we are producing fewer teachers. If you don’t have a quality individual standing in every classroom, you can bring in all the technology… you still have to have … a maestro in each classroom across the state.

 

We have to do something to re-professionalize that profession to make it more attract and attract more people into it as a worthwhile career that has a tremendous impact. All the other things we talk about being ready- having the right people, in the right place at right time- if you don’t have a teacher there to cause that to happen, it’s not going to happen.”

Businesses can help by engaging education leaders in conversations on the skills they need for the jobs of the future, which is just part of the discussions being held at the Florida Chamber’s annual Learners to Earners Education Summit on June 13-14 in Orlando.