Palm Beach County educator honored for mentoring young teachers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Friday wraps up Teacher Appreciation Week, and it comes at a time when the job has never been tougher for those in the classroom.

A recent survey from the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers' union, showed that more than 55% of its members plan to leave education sooner than they originally intended because of the stress and hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind found a Palm Beach County public school teacher who not only came back to the profession several years ago, but was recently recognized for his work mentoring younger teachers.

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After a 30-year break from the classroom, Jim Johnson returned to teaching social studies at Forest Hill Community High School in West Palm Beach in 2015.

"I've had some really good teachers that actually asked me, are you coming back to teaching? And I decided to give it a try," Johnson said.

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Now in his seventh year, Johnson not only works with students, but he mentors younger teachers, too.

"I enjoy passing on what I've learned and I know what works, what doesn't work, some of the difficulties of being a new teacher," Johnson said. "I always believe if you are strong, we are going to be strong at the school and it just makes everybody better."

That attitude and work ethic earned him the School District of Palm Beach County's Mentor Teacher of the Year for secondary schools.

"Surprised, humbled, shocked," Johnson said. "Very proud, but I know there are a lot of great teachers and mentors."

"This Teacher Appreciation Week is really one for us to reflect on how the policy and the tone and the villainization that we are seeing from some politicians, including our governor, against the teachers in the state of Florida is having a direct impact on the ability of our student to learn," said Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, or teachers' union.

Spar acknowledges it's a tough time to be a teacher. He's predicting about 9,000 teaching vacancies across Florida, with only about 2,000 students graduating college with education degrees.

The pandemic, low pay, and ongoing culture wars are all contributing factors, According to Spar.

"When we don't have people coming into the profession and staying in the profession, that means kids aren't getting the education they need," Spar said.

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"People in the past have spoken bad about the teaching profession," Johnson said. "But I know being here, there are a lot of teachers that after the bell rings, they are still here at school. They're working at home, trying to make everything as best they can for their students. So I really admire that and try to do the same for my students."

Back at Forest Hill Community High School, students served lunch on Thursday to show appreciation for their teachers.

"They've gone through just as much as we have during these COVID years," said student Soraya Pearson. "They are the front line of everything."

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And while it can be tough sometimes, Johnson said his best advice to younger teachers is to not give up.

"Stay with it," Johnson said. "We're not in it for the money. But when I have students who, as a freshmen they were struggling, and you see them as they progress and walk across the stage, that makes me feel really good, especially when you know you helped them a little bit."

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Florida Atlantic University said its College of Education has seen a slight decline in the number of students graduating in teacher education programs from 230 in 2018 down to 203 in 2021.

So how do we keep more teachers in the profession?

Spar said it comes down to respect. Increasing pay is a start, plus valuing the work teachers do every day and talking to high schoolers about a career in education.

"It's not for the pay, but you get a lot of satisfaction and you know you are accomplishing something," Johnson said. "Every time I tell someone I'm a teacher, I hear, thank you very much."