Future of Education Podcast S2E287: The Real Reason It’s So Hard to Hire Great Teachers
Dec 12, 2025
The podcast reveals the struggles of hiring great teachers in today's schools. MacKenzie outlines the overwhelming responsibilities teachers face, from academic duties to emotional support, compounded by low pay. She discusses a transformative approach at Alpha Schools, where guides focus on facilitating learning rather than traditional lecturing. With AI enhancing education, guides motivate and connect with students. Innovative roles like the Dean of Parents help alleviate burdens, allowing guides to prioritize student needs and deserve better compensation.
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Teaching Job Is An Unrealistic Multirole
- The traditional teacher role bundles subject expertise, child psychology, administration, and parent liaison into one unrealistic job.
- MacKenzie Price argues this combined job spec makes finding high-quality teachers nearly impossible.
Use AI To Deliver Academic Content
- Delegate academic instruction to AI tutors and adaptive apps so adults stop doing direct content teaching.
- Use technology to deliver personalized, mastery-paced instruction like one-to-one tutoring.
Guides Teach Learning, Not Content
- Shifting guides away from content lets them focus on teaching students how to learn independently.
- MacKenzie sees guides supporting learning skills and independence rather than lecturing content.