The teacher shortage in the United States is a growing problem with no easy solutions. From online teaching and four-day school weeks to lowering standards and increasing class sizes, school districts are resorting to extreme measures to cope with the shortage. Unfortunately, these coping strategies reduce teachers’ effectiveness and threaten students’ ability to learn, and are indicative of the severity of the teacher shortage. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here