Over the past decade, there has been growing concern over shortages in the teaching profession. With fewer college graduates choosing education majors and more teachers leaving the field each year, many schools are struggling to fill open positions. This potential teacher shortage has raised questions about what’s causing the decline and how it might impact students.
What do the statistics show?
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, public school enrollment increased by around 800,000 students between 2008 and 2018. During the same period, the number of teachers in public schools declined by around 110,000. This suggests that demand for teachers has grown faster than supply over the last ten years.
A 2018 report by the Economic Policy Institute found that the shortage was most acute in high-poverty schools, where qualified teachers were especially difficult to retain. Shortages were also more common in certain subject areas like math, science, special education, and bilingual education.
However, predicting long-term trends is complicated. Teacher retirements often fluctuate based on economic cycles and pension policies. Enrollment levels can shift depending on demographic changes in the student population. So while data shows a recent downturn in teachers, it’s unclear if this will continue consistently going forward.
What factors may contribute to fewer teachers?
Researchers cite a variety of interrelated factors that may be discouraging people from entering or remaining in the teaching profession:
- Declining teacher salaries and benefits. After adjusting for inflation, public school teacher wages dropped by 4% between 2000 and 2018. Rising healthcare costs have also eroded take-home pay. Lower compensation reduces the appeal of teaching careers.
- Challenging working conditions. Large class sizes, lack of planning time, excessive paperwork, and student behavior issues contribute to high stress and burnout among teachers.
- Lack of respect for the profession. Teachers often feel their profession is not valued or respected by society compared to other careers, especially those with higher pay.
- Expanding career options for women. As more professional opportunities have opened for women, who make up the majority of teachers, fewer choose to enter teaching.
- Rigorous licensing and education requirements. Protracted certification processes and costs associated with master’s degrees may deter some from pursuing teaching.
- Retirement and high turnover. An aging workforce and high attrition leads to more vacancies. 17% of new teachers leave the profession within their first five years.
These dynamics all make teaching a less appealing career path for many potential candidates. At the same time, student enrollment continues growing, widening the gap between supply and demand.
How are teacher shortages impacting schools?
A lack of qualified teachers can seriously impair schools in several ways:
- Larger class sizes – With fewer teachers, class sizes grow. This strains resources and impacts the quality of instruction and support students receive.
- Fewer course offerings – Schools may cut back on electives, arts, foreign languages, and other non-core subjects when unable to staff classes.
- Underqualified staff – Teacher shortages force many schools to hire substitutes, instructors without proper credentials, or others unprepared to teach.
- Burnout and turnover – Existing teachers face greater demands and stress, fueling further resignations and early retirements.
The combined impact of these effects disproportionately harms students from low-income families and communities. A national survey found 75% of school districts struggle to fill vacancies in high-poverty schools.
Are some states or regions harder hit?
While teacher shortages are a widespread issue, some states are more severely affected. Areas experiencing the most acute shortages as of 2022 include:
| State | Areas with Most Severe Shortages |
|---|---|
| California | Special education, mathematics, science |
| Texas | Bilingual education, languages, sciences |
| New York | Special education, English as a Second Language |
| Illinois | Special education, languages, sciences |
| North Carolina | Special education, math, science |
| Washington | Special education, math, science, languages |
Rural districts in states like Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Nevada also report extreme teacher shortages spanning nearly all subject areas. Areas where population growth is outpacing teacher production face the toughest challenges filling open positions.
How are policymakers and schools responding?
Confronted by the shortage, states and school districts are using a number of strategies to attract and retain more teachers:
- Increasing salaries and benefits – Higher pay makes the profession more appealing. Some districts have enacted double-digit percentage raises.
- Streamlining certification – Simplifying licensing requirements helps expand the pool of qualified candidates.
- Offering loan forgiveness – Reimbursing education debt provides financial incentive for teachers.
- Providing mentoring and support – Onboarding programs and coaches retain more early-career teachers.
- Partnering with teacher prep programs – Colleges tailor programs to districts’ needs and recruit locally.
- Using emergency certifications – Policies temporarily credential those without traditional teacher training.
States have also launched media campaigns to promote the value of the teaching profession and attract young people to the career. For example, Arizona’s #RedForEd movement has rallied public support for education funding and teacher pay increases.
Conclusion
Falling teacher numbers over the past decade point to meaningful challenges facing America’s schools. A confluence of factors has made teaching a less attractive profession at a time when more teachers are urgently needed. While state and local initiatives to address teacher shortages show promise, solving the problem will require long-term efforts. Providing better pay, improved working conditions, respect for the profession, and high-quality preparation will be critical to ensuring every classroom has a qualified, effective teacher.