In The Age of Teacher Shortages Zarra (Lewis-Clark State College) paints a bleak picture of Generation Z and the education system, detailing the cultural shifts in the US that have contributed to college students’ loss of interest in pursuing careers in education. He thoroughly examines the consequences of these changes and the dangers of granting teaching credentials with more leniency, allowing people to teach without the rigorous teacher training that traditional teacher education programs provide. Throughout the discussion, the author uses both statistics and vignettes to illustrate his claims. Zarra also provides strategic solutions, stressing the importance of mentoring and professional development for supporting new teachers in the field. He includes appendixes that are useful for both those seeking jobs as teachers and those looking for alternative pathways to certification. Overall, this is a thought-provoking read on the subject of public education, recommended for teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators.? Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.

Choice Reviews

Dr. Ernie Zarra is a breath of fresh air to public education. As he addresses The Age of Teacher Shortages, he explores the issues causing these shortages and their implications for teachers and administrators. On a larger scale, unlike other education books that I have read, Zarra’s book provides strategic solutions. I have shared his books with others in the education field, and they all say the same thing: “finally, a common sense approach to dealing with the issues faced by teachers and youth of today.” His current book is another of these impacting common sense approaches. I recommend this book, along with his others, to anyone that seeks to do more than throw up their hands into the air, and run away from the profession.

Darrah Eggers, Principal/Athletic Director, Deary High School

Dr. Ernie Zarra presents an important and timely examination of what could be the biggest crisis facing education since the advent of public schooling. In this book, he examines the reasons for the teacher shortage, analyzes the problems with alternative certification, and offers ideas for real solutions to these present concerns in this Age of Teacher Shortages.

Ken Wareham, PhD, Professor of Education , Lewis-Clark State College

Dr. Ernest Zarra’s The Age of Teacher Shortages is a powerful and cogent assessment of the challenges that are certain to confront America’s next generation of classroom teachers. His argument is not for the faint of heart—for at the center of it is a powerful description of how America’s most important profession is in turmoil. His thesis is that the broader public must begin to understand the role teachers play in cultivating the values and behaviors that renew American civic society but also understand how these same teachers are simultaneously undermined in countless ways by countervailing forces and interests of the broader culture. Zarra’s poignant narrative is mandatory reading for both the expert in education and the common citizen who want to understand why the teaching profession is in crisis.

Jeremy S. Adams, Author, The Secrets of Timeless Teachers

Zarra’s pointed predictions are again on the money in his newest book The Age of Teacher Shortages. Those of us working in education see the abuses, we feel the pressures, we know the tide has turned from common sense education to what feels like a losing battle on some days. Aberrant student behaviors and a variety of systematic abuses are pushing teachers to the breaking point. Teacher burnout is real and creeping up the backs of seasoned veterans. You know it’s bad when veteran teachers start counting the days until retirement. Zarra spells out the problems as well as the answers. America should take heed.

Judy McCain Farris, High School Science Teacher