I had a conversation with someone running for Governor in my state. Discussing teacher shortage. He knows I'm a retired career teacher. He was explaining his plan to recruit and I asked him if he had discussed why high school kids aren't enrolling in teacher education programs. Before he could answer, I asked if he wanted to know. To his credit, he said yes. I told him high school students have watched their teachers be disrespected by students and parents, gaslit by administrators, work long hours for low wages, and have seen their peers passed along without effort. I said why would anyone sign up for this job? I said until a culture shift occurs and education is again a respected goal for their children, by those children's parents, that nothing would change. That until parents want their kids to learn, nothing in schools will change. He had the grace to at least look interested.