Rider professor's podcast examines local and national educational issues

As school districts across the country struggle with a national teacher shortage, a Rider University professor is taking an innovative step to attract new educators to the profession.

Dr. Mark Pearcy, professor in the Department of Teacher Education, has launched a radio show and podcast called Pod Save the Teachers (PSTT), which will take a monthly look at educational issues impacting New Jersey and address questions that are driving debate around education in the United States. 

Pearcy, who is a huge fan of podcasts himself, decided to start his own podcast because this is such a pivotal time for the nation’s education system, he says.

“We want to talk about the things that teachers are concerned with today,” he tells his audience while introducing the first episode. “It’s never been a harder time to be a teacher than it is right now in America. The pressures on teachers have increased over the years, the expectations have increased and many of the same pressures we’ve been dealing with for decades have not only not been alleviated but have gone on and, in many cases, have gotten worse."

Pearcy also hopes to use his platform to raise awareness of Rider’s faculty and its accomplishments, as well as Rider’s students. “One of the reasons why we love the University is because of the close connections we form with our students,” he says, “and we want to put spotlights on them — not only the great work they’re doing, but their ambitions for their own professions.”

In addition, the radio show and podcast will feature interviews with teachers from Rider’s partner districts. “Top to bottom, the schools here in New Jersey are outstanding and so are our partner districts and the teachers we work with, so I want to make sure we have chances to talk to them,” he says.