New federal survey data on the education workforce shows a majority of schools are struggling to fill at least one fully accredited teaching position this fall.
Public schools reported an average of six teacher vacancies in August. school pulse panel According to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Approximately 20 percent of these positions remained unfilled at the start of the school year.
Schools say the two most common challenges they face when recruiting are a lack of qualified candidates and too few applicants. Special education, physical sciences, and English as a second language were some of the most difficult fields to fill.
NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr said in a news release that while the percentage of schools saying they have difficulty filling positions is down five points from 79% last year, “there is still room for improvement.” Approximately 1,400 K-12 public schools nationwide responded to the survey.
Compared to last year, we can see that recruitment has become slightly easier. Megan Bolen An official from the Southern Regional Board of Education said the country still faces a teacher shortage.
Get EdSurge’s journalism delivered free to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter.
BorenHe leads the organization’s teacher talent data and policy efforts, and says it’s a mistake to think of the teacher shortage solely in terms of filled and vacant positions. Other factors to consider include the geographic region of the school, department, and student age group where the shortage is prevalent.
The organization also considers teacher demographics, the number of candidates graduating from teacher preparation programs, alternative certification programs, and their level of preparation.
“If you look at this just as a number of people, you’re not looking at the whole issue and, quite frankly, you’re doing a disservice to the students and the educators themselves.” Boren Say. “The most important thing is the quality and preparation to fill these vacancies or to lead the classroom and allocate that talent.”
Boren They expressed concern about schools relying on uncertified teachers to fill staffing gaps, whether candidates with emergency certification or long-term substitute teachers. Their lack of experience can put a strain on the more experienced teachers and administrators who support them, she explains. Both administrators and traditional teacher preparation graduates say that even fully certified new teachers feel less prepared than in years past.
Schools in high-poverty areas and with a majority (75% or more) of students of color fill fewer vacancies with fully certified teachers, according to NCES data. .
“This is a firestorm, and people are thinking, ‘How do we put out the fire and rebuild?'” Bolen said. The fires are actually making the situation worse and causing problems for educators and leaders to worsen. ”
She said there is no single factor causing the teacher shortage, but that issues such as the pandemic’s strain on mental health, pressure to fill staff vacancies, and lack of time for collaboration and planning are intertwined. He said that
The teacher shortage didn’t start with the pandemic. Boren The teacher turnover rate her organization tracked hovered between 7 percent and 9 percent before 2020. But the pandemic has accelerated turnover, she said, with teacher turnover now reaching 18 percent in some parts of the South.
“Certain areas of the state have started to stem the flow, but overall sales are increasing,” Boren said.
