In mid-January 2022, a quick google search of “teacher shortage” returns what feels like an endless Twitter feed of articles about how cities and districts all over the United States are calling on non-teaching staff - and even parents - to step into the classroom.
The dispatches from the field are stories from teachers about how overburdened they are and public acknowledgments from superintendents (probably to the delight of many teachers!) of just how hard it is to be at the helm of a classroom today. Unsurprisingly, the teacher shortage has evolved to become the substitute teacher shortage, and some school districts are temporarily closing their doors altogether because of widespread COVID-19 infection among students and staff.
The Underlying Cause of the Teacher Shortage
While it feels natural to point to the COVID-19 pandemic as the underlying cause of America’s teacher shortage, the reality is a bit more complicated. COVID-19 exacerbated trends of mass teacher retirements outnumbering new entries to a field that is historically underpaid, “under-professionalized,” and rife with burnout. In essence, for many, March 2020 and the months since then was the last straw.
Key Trends in Addressing the Teacher Shortage
Beyond bringing administration and parents into the classroom, here’s a summary of some of the tactics states and K12 districts in the United States are employing to address the teacher shortage and bring qualified educators back to school:
1. Encouraging teachers out of retirementSome schools are bringing retired teachers back into the classroom to fill the gaps caused by the current teacher shortage.
- The Michigan Department of Education has provided "waivers to help former educators become recertified," making it easier for retired teachers to return to the classroom. *California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in August 2021 that "made it easier for retirees to return to the classroom by removing the requirement for the retiree to be approved by a school board."
Some states, like Connecticut, took a more drastic approach to the current teacher shortage and approved emergency teacher certifications.
- As of December 2021, the Connecticut Board of Education voted unanimously to issue additional emergency certifications, in addition to the 174 emergency certifications the state issued in 2020.
- The Michigan Department of Education has created alternative teacher certification programs for those already working in schools who are not yet certified teachers to earn their certification more rapidly. In February 2021, Massachusetts extended their emergency teacher license program, initially meant to expire June 30, 2021, through June 30, 2022. The emergency license program is designed, among other things, to support "the educator pipeline for school districts looking to bring on new hires."
3. Offering sign-on incentives and bonuses
Many schools are offering one-time cash sign-on bonuses for new hires to address the immediate teacher and support staff shortage exacerbated by COVID-19.
- Mount Diablo Unified School District near San Francisco offers "$5,000 signing bonuses for speech pathologists and $1,500 for para-educators who help students with learning needs."
- West Contra Costa County Unified, also in California, is offering "$6,000 signing bonuses for teachers, with a third paid out after the first month and rest when the teacher enters year three."
- Others providing cash incentives include districts in Oklahoma, North Carolina, and New Jersey. North Texas schools offered sign-on bonuses of up to $10,000!
4. Embracing platforms that offer thousands of highly-qualified teachers, virtually
Many schools this year have discovered success with remote instruction delivered by teachers who are not only highly qualified but trained in virtual teaching.
- Schools like Oklahoma City Public Schools and Hagerman Municipal schools have tapped Outschool, an innovative platform offering live, small-group, and 1:1 classes taught by over 7,000 teachers. Outschool helps district leaders and principals keep kids learning in spite of the continued interruptions in their school environments.
- The variety of Outschool’s 140,000+ classes offered for kids ages 3-18 means schools and districts can use the platform to address shortages in every subject, and keep kids inspired through unique electives and extracurriculars like Travel the World with an Archaeologist! and Beginner’s Ukulele Class.
- Schools are getting creative with the implementation of virtual learning too, and seeing success with a hybrid model. For example, North Texas schools used virtual teachers with in-person students during the fall of 2021. Remote teachers handle the lessons while an in-person school staff member handles classroom management and any technical issues from inside the classroom with the students.
What does the future look like for classroom teaching?
Experts estimate we’re likely not at the end of the teacher shortage. A RAND survey in early 2021 found that nearly 25% of current teachers were planning to leave teaching by the end of the year. But, if we’ve learned anything this last year, it’s that crisis breeds innovation. The teacher shortage is another opportunity for education leaders across the country to rise to the occasion, work together, and try new, creative solutions to give students the bright futures they deserve.
Keep Kids Learning with Outschool
At Outschool, we stand for learners, and want to support schools and families in ensuring that learning doesn’t stop for the 74M students in our country amidst school closures and interruptions. For a limited time, Outschool is offering unlimited access to our 140,000+ live, small-group online classes to eligible schools in the United States that need to switch to remote learning. Learn more here.
Did we miss any innovative practices schools are employing to address their teacher shortages? Let us know in the comments, and subscribe to updates for more content like this.
