The Future Educators Association (FEA) is a national organization that encourages students to pursue a career in education, and College and Career counselor Ms. Chilakos and English teacher Ms. Alonso are working to establish a chapter here at PHS. The teacher shortage has greatly affected schools all across America, but the FEA hopes to support teachers in America, as well as students who aim to become teachers in the future.
Mrs. Chilakos states, “There is a national teacher shortage and you can even see the effects it has on our school, and we hope that this club will help fix the problems those shortages cause.”
The club itself will be fully established by the 2024-2025 school year, and it aims to help students succeed in any career they choose to pursue, specifically education. By encouraging students to consider teaching as an option in their future, a higher level of importance is put on the career. Hopefully this will cause people to prioritize teaching careers and increase the amount of teachers, solving the teacher shortage. The club is offering many ways to help the students get engaged within our community regarding teaching and education.
“We already have a tentative plan to start a reading buddy program with members of the club and have them spend time reading books with elementary students in Piscataway,” states Mrs. Chilakos.
The Piscataway community can greatly benefit from the Future Teachers Association, as programs such as the reading buddy program offer teaching experience to the members of the club, but also promote literacy and the importance of education at younger levels. As the club develops, Ms. Chilakos hopes to introduce similar programs that promote education and teaching professions, helping students at younger levels become more proficient in school, and increase student interest in education professions. These opportunities can provide experiences to students that can help them decide whether teaching is the career they would like to pursue.
“The board and administration have also been trying to help organize this club at Piscataway, and I know many teachers and students are really excited to see Piscataway have an established chapter of the New Jersey Future Teachers Association” says Ms. Chilakos.
The process of creating this club is similar to all others, and it is required for the members and advisors to draft a club constitution, and coordinate with the Student Government as well as [Vice Principal] Mr. Berdecia who is in charge of all the clubs at PHS. This process has been relatively smooth due to the value that the Association places on educators and education systems.
“This idea originally started because we have a senior here at PHS who is a member of New Jersey’s Future Teachers Association, and she introduced us to the organization and encouraged us to develop a chapter here at PHS”, states Ms. Chilakos.
Having students engage in the education system through clubs and organizations like this increases the effectiveness of the American education system. PHS shows immense potential, with students taking on positions that will allow them to benefit their community, and their peers’ lives. The support that Piscataway Teachers and Administration shows for these students as well as the opportunities provided through PHS only encourage students to continue making waves and eventually create an even more positive environment for future generations of Piscataway students.
