In 2010, 151 freshmen were admitted to the College of Education at NC State. In 2014, the university admitted 72. 

The amount of students pursuing degrees in education has been rapidly declining at NC State and all of the UNC System schools, according to Michael Maher, assistant dean for the College of Education. 

“Not only is NC State producing fewer teachers, but all of the UNC system schools are producing fewer teachers,” Maher said. 

The UNC System schools as a whole are the largest producer of teachers for North Carolina, Maher said. 

“North Carolina has historically been what we would term a ‘shortage state,’ so the 50 colleges in North Carolina that prepare teachers don’t actually prepare enough teachers for all of the jobs,” Maher said. “So we already have to import teachers from other states.” 

Since 2008, the UNC System schools have had about a 14 percent decline in education undergraduate programs overall, Maher said. 

“Some of this is, of course, due to the loss of the NC Teaching Fellows Program,” Maher said. 

If North Carolina continues to produce fewer teachers, the university will have to bring more teachers in from outside North Carolina or bring in people who are less prepared, according to Maher. 

“We would have to fill classrooms with people who are working on their teaching licenses while they are actually teaching,” Maher said. “I don’t think that’s a good scenario for children in NC.” 

Fewer incoming freshmen choosing education as a career path, means the College of Education has to work harder in recruiting transfer students and high school students, Maher said. 

“Part of it is informing individuals about what teachers really do because teaching isn’t really what you think it is,” Maher said. “If you spent a whole lot of time as a student, being a teacher is different.” 

Students who are interested in a particular subject and want to impact children’s lives are ideal candidates for pursuing a career in education, according to Maher. 

“When you couple those things, the opportunity to make a real difference in students’ lives along with engaging teachers in something that they love is not only an exciting career, but I think it’s a rewarding one as well,” Maher said. 

Teachers are some of the most influential people in a child’s life, said Kelly Womack, a senior in mathematics and a Teaching Fellow. 

“I want to help students to realize that they are capable of achieving greatness because many students easily become discouraged of achievement by previous perceptions and experiences,” Womack said. 

The largest impact to the College of Education has been on the recruitment side and attracting new students to choose education as a career, Maher said. 

“I think that there are students here at NC State who 

 don’t realize that not only might they make a really good teacher, but they might actually like it,” Maher said. 

Jillian Armstrong, a sophomore in elementary education, wants to be a teacher because she loves working with children. 

“The elementary stages are so crucial for development and that’s why kindergarten is so fascinating to me,” Armstrong said. 

The political side of education and funding has also impacted the enrollment numbers, according to Maher. 

“[The] climate certainly has been less than favorable for teachers and that turns people away,” Maher said. 

Higher salaries would help to make North Carolina a more attractive state for teachers, according to Maher. 

“We need to offer competitive salaries and possibly competitive benefits so that individuals will look at NC and see a place where they can live and earn an appropriate salary,” Maher said. 

Maher said improving working conditions could also help to keep graduates in North Carolina. 

“I think another piece that we really need to think about is working conditions in schools,” Maher said. “This includes checking what kind of autonomy they have in their classrooms, if they [are] being supported by their administrators and mentors and if teachers have the resources they need.” 

The decreasing number of students isn’t shocking, said Womack. 

“[What] the lack of people becoming teachers comes down to is the lack of respect others have for the profession, the lack of pay for the amount of work required, and the overall expectations for teachers,” Womack said. 

However, decreases in enrollment for the College of Education should not be ignored. 

“I think it’s really important for people to remember that we know the best teachers in North Carolina come from UNC System,” Maher said. “It’s important for people to know that what we do matters and it matters a lot.” 

The declining numbers of students enrolling in the College of Education will not impact students who are currently enrolled in the college, according to Maher. 

“We will continue as a college to work hard to bring in high quality students who want to be teachers,” Maher said. “Our students will continue to get an excellent education as they work their way through our college.”