Because education has had a budget shortfall over and over in the last 25 years many schools have cut Family and Consumer Sciences programs or stopped building them all together.
These budget cuts have created a lack of interest in the field leaving the many educators, that may be ready to retire, in fear that there is not a group of people ready in the wings waiting to carry on the field.
In many Midwestern and some Southern states there is a FACS teacher shortage even though programs have been cut to the minimum. This is a conundrum that I have blogged about before. Those that analyse for a living find it odd that a field that is dwindling in numbers but can still be growing in educator positions.
Factors that influence these issues in the United States are:
*location of the program (state)
*state funding of the program
*is STEM promoted in the department
*size of the department
*courses that are taught in the school
*popularity of courses that are taught in the school
*is FCCLA in the school
*is the school rural or urban
*administration support
*how has the school promoted the department and its work
*is department current with times
and the list goes on....if I have missed something obvious please message me!
If you are interested in recruiting and keeping FACS alive the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is helping. They have devoted a page on their website to recruiting tools for FACS educators. Please take a look at and utilize these resources to help this program stay alive! And of course, if you are not a member please join forces with AAFCS and become a contributing member.
Here is the link:
http://www.aafcs.org/FCSEdPipeline.asp
With love from your retired FACS teacher, Jane
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