Solving the teacher shortage

Understanding the why behind teacher shortages can help districts implement effective interventions

By Jennifer Fink

More than half of all U.S. public schools were understaffed at the start of the 2022-23 school year, with 66% of districts reporting too few applicants for teaching positions, according to the National Center for Education. Accurate statistics are difficult to come by, though, as there’s no national database that contains reliable or detailed data on teacher supply and demand.

On the ground, it’s clear that districts around the country are struggling to hire and retain qualified teachers. More teachers seem to be leaving the profession than entering it. Teacher retirements have spiked, with the California State Teachers’ Retirement System experiencing a 26% increase in retirements during just the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban, rural, coastal, valley, large, small, affluent, and economically challenged districts report hiring and staffing challenges.

Teacher vacancies aren’t simply a logistical problem; they’re an educational one as well. As noted by the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, “Teacher shortages present significant challenges to student success. In the absence of sufficient qualified applicants, districts may hire emergency-certified teachers with limited training or rely on substitute teachers. Or they may cancel courses or increase class size, which also negatively affect student learning.”