Teacher shortages in special education remain a problem. This paraprofessional was precisely the kind of person that the field needed to fill those positions.
The pandemic has brought even more difficulty finding special education teachers, with many barriers still in place and headlines warning of catastrophic school staffing shortages throughout the country. You need to know about teacher shortages as the school year draws close.
Image Credit: Pexels/Max Fischer
Do We Have A Teacher Shortage?
There is no teacher shortage in the country. Most classrooms have all the educators they need, and some have never had vacancies. Yet there are shortages in many other areas. The staffing level varies significantly by state, district, school, subject, and grade level. From October to January, nearly half (45%) of public schools had at least one vacant teaching position, the same rate as when the School Pulse Panel surveyed in January. Despite this, the average number of vacancies per school declined from slightly more than three in June to two in October.
Teacher Shortages: Why Do They Exist?
There are various reasons: low pay, low morale, rising political and academic pressures, and health and safety concerns. Teachers are retiring or nearing retirement, and the profession’s flailing reputation is deterring another generation. NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr said, “It’s no secret that educators work very hard, and they often work beyond their required hours. The report shows that teachers work 52 hours and principals work 58 hours weekly.”
Image Credit: Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk
Are Students Affected By Teacher Shortages?
Low-income areas are more likely to experience shortages. The October School Pulse Panel found that 57% of high-poverty schools had at least one teaching vacancy, with over a third having multiple openings. Due to the pandemic’s academic disruptions, shortages are concentrated at schools with the highest student populations. It means that the children most likely to require qualified teachers will attend schools without teachers.