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The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents an opportunity for states, districts, and schools to equitably design education systems to ensure that historically underserved students are prepared for the demands of the 21st century. This report details the equity implications of ESSA and provides recommendations for ways in which states, districts, and schools can leverage the new law to enhance equitable educational opportunities and close persistent achievement gaps.

Seventy-five percent of districts responding to a Fall 2016 survey reported teacher shortages, with 81% saying the problem is getting worse. This brief details the results of the survey, conducted by the Learning Policy Institute and the California School Boards Association, including information about how districts are responding to shortages.

Many districts face teacher shortages that threaten their ability to deliver a quality education to all children. Rather than implementing short-term fixes that often rely on underprepared or out-of-field teachers, policymakers at all levels should look to the research for strategies that are effective at building a high-quality and sustainable teaching workforce. This fact sheet, based on a comprehensive review of the research on teacher recruitment and retention policies, identifies district policies that can ease shortages, while also prioritizing student learning and a strong teacher workforce.

Providing all students with excellent educators is one of the most important drivers of a well-functioning education system—a system that must prepare diverse students to participate in today’s knowledge-driven economy. However, many states are facing a teacher shortage that threatens their ability to deliver a quality education to all children. Shortages are most severe in certain fields (special education, math, science, and bilingual education) and in high-poverty districts and schools, where students most need highly skilled teachers.