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Catastrophic. Usually, that word is reserved for floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. Now, it’s the only way to describe our nation’s teacher shortage. The post-pandemic economy and classroom are, well, different. Teachers learned a lot while working remotely. They experienced a lot when they returned to unsafe conditions. Now they are quickly opting for their scheduled and even early retirement. They are also leaving the profession for jobs that have healthier environments and better pay.
There’s a lot to unpack in the Post article, but we want to focus on one piece this week, and that’s teacher pay. Not pay, income. Teacher pay is a state and district battle. But for income, we have some valuable leads for you. It’s work that can reflect your true talents and interests and provide you with the extra income that allows you to live comfortably with your teacher pay and remain in the classroom.
We are talking about the gig economy. It’s a large market where people earn money from on-demand, short-term projects. Gen Zs and Millenials know gig work, a term borrowed from musicians and other performers. In fact, four in ten Americans engage in some form of gig work, the highest is among Millenials, in part due to student debt.
Educators are well suited for gig work. They have a subject-area expertise, understand the nature of projects through PBL, and often take on leadership roles at the school or central office. Our friends in the tech and business world can follow the same processes you see here.
Here are some of Setser Group’s favorite gigs.
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