There were a number of blank stares last week in a meeting of Northeast Wisconsin superintendents, many of whom used the path around the Falls to gather at the CESA building in Gillett. What prompted the deer in the headlights look on a few of the younger ones was the use of the term “baby boom echo” to emphasize a point.
“Baby Boomers” refers to the generation born just after the end of World War II, a generation that had a profound impact on our society. As service men returned from the war, almost in unison, they started families. Back then there was no “family planning,” as we know the meaning of the term today, and the number of births was off the charts.
Through the years, that “bulge in the snake” had a significant impact on American society. When they reached school age in the mid-1950s, schools became crowded, and communities built schools. In the 1970s many graduated from college or entered the work force — hopefully both, if they were lucky.
Today, a number of the boomers are retiring and entering a new phase of their lives. In spite of what some of them might think, 70 is not the new 30, when it comes to what they can do. At one time one of their marching cries was “Never trust anyone over 30,” but that quickly got lost in the shuffle as the generation reached and passed that mile marker.
In the 1970s, when the boomers began to have children of their own, they created the “baby boom echo,” and the cycle began to repeat itself, although the wave was not as pronounced as before, not unlike the decreasing power of the succeeding rings in a pond when a rock is thrown into calm water.
The starting of families was more spread out, and family planning was available in a variety of forms. Many of the boomers decided to have smaller families than their parents.
Even so, many communities built schools because of crowded conditions and the need for new buildings.
There will be no baby boom echo echo because of a number of factors. The peaks and valleys of births seem to have leveled out, and many schools in rural Wisconsin have empty classrooms. Schools with growing enrollment understand it is not due to increased childbirth of longtime residents, but rather due to family movement into communities for one reason or another.
Getting back to the analogy used in the meeting, many school leaders are noticing a phenomenon, which in this observer’s humble opinion, is not a “baby boom echo,” but a “Wisconsin Act 10 echo.”
The legislation, which significantly affects public employee bargaining rights, became effective in June 2011. As a result, many teachers left the classroom, and those who stayed saw a ratcheting down of their take-home pay and buying power.
One can argue about the merits of that legislation, but the coverage in the media was widespread. Countless times around the family dinner table, people in the education profession suggested that their children should consider other career options.
This summer marks four years since Act 10 went into effect and four years since high school graduates went off to college to prepare for careers. An echo is coming back for us to hear. The message in that echo is that the number of people entering college that fall and choosing to go into teacher preparation programs has dipped significantly.
As we begin to work on filling teaching vacancies for this fall, the pool of candidates is much smaller than it had been in the past. In some cases there is no water in the pool, and a rock tossed in the pool makes no rings. We doubt that drying up the pool of prospective teachers was the intent of the legislation, but it might be called collateral damage.
People used to talk about the “3 R’s,” reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. Now, it seems the focus, when it comes to finding teachers, will be recruit, reward and retain if one wants a great school staff.
This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. We extend a heartfelt thanks to those people who chose that profession and make a difference in the lives of young people. Recently, an item put out by our OFHS Sunshine Club listed why people should become teachers. The last point was “to stay young.” Maybe that is why for some, 70 is the new 30.
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