Page 4 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1975
False indications
Teacher’s market not so bad
By CINDY TABER
Special to the Batt
Teacher surplus statistics could
falsely indicate that unemployment
awaits many education majors after
graduation, indicated J. Malon
Southerland in a recent interview.
Southerland, coordinator of Edu
cational Placement Services, said he
predicts that most 1975 TAMU
graduates who will be seeking
teaching positions will find them.
“The teacher surplus in Texas is
much less startling than some na
tional surplus statistics indicate,”
Southerland said.
For example, in 1973 over 20 per
cent of the teacher graduates in the
Pacific, West North Central and
New England states couldn’t find
jobs, according to an article in the
Fall 1974 issue of the Journal of
Teacher Education. In Texas, the
percentage is five to 10 per cent,
one of the lowest percentages in the
nation.
At A&M, the market for teachers
may be even better, Southerland
said. Last year out of 450 graduates
registered for placement, all but 15
had found positions by the end of
the year.
“That’s darn good in my opinion,’
Southerland said.
Although there is reason for op
timism, finding a job may require
Thrifty rats
under study
as ‘buyers’
Rats, when faced with a price in
crease on certain goods, simply con
sume less of the higher priced pro
duct, say Texas A&M University
economic researchers.
John Kagel and Raymond Bat-
talio, in cooperation with University
of New York-Stony Brook
psychologists, are conducting ex
periments with animals on theories
of consumer choice.
Because of the implications of
economics on the psychological
state of the consumer, whether rat
or human, they think someday the
data they are compiling will form a
bridge from economics to psychol
ogy-
Some interesting finds have come
from research.
The rats have backed up some
what the retail concept of giveaways
to encourage consumption.
Battalio and Kagel say that when
the prices on a certain good were
eithfer cut drastically or done away
with for a short period, consump
tion of that good went up.
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settling for less pay than desired, or
living in a"“second or third choice”
geographic location, Southerland
said.
Reasons for the surplus are com
plex, said Dr. Robert E. Shutes,
educational curriculum and instruc
tion department head.
“There has been a decline in the
number of school children largely
due to the concern for zero popula
tion growth,” Shutes said.
As federal funds based upon pupil
population decline, so do school dis
tricts’ incomes. Couple this with in
flation and school districts save
money by cutting salaries, which
traditionally compose 85 to 90 per
cent of school budgets, Shutes exp
lained. As a result, class sizes have
gone up.
In Texas,
foreign language
teachers at the elementary level
(where not mandated) have been
most heavily cut, Shutes said.
Social studies teachers — which
Shutes described as a “glutted mar
ket” — and music, art and modern
language teachers are in lowest de
mand, he said.
“English, math, and science
teachers usually show a high turn
over rate. As long as a teacher with
one of these specializations is
‘mobile,’ he should be able to find a |
position, he said.
In very high demand are voca
tional, industrial arts, reading and
special education teachers, Shutes |
said.
“Also, when competing for jobs, I
males at the elementary level and
bilingual teachers in need’ areas
have the edge, he concluded.
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