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LPI’s 2025 annual scan of teacher shortage data indicates that little has changed over the past year, with many schools continuing to face staffing challenges. However, with three years of data, there are some national patterns and state takeaways.
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Each year, millions of students risk losing ground to the “summer slide”—a preventable drop in academic progress. But with the right policies, investments, and targeted practices, the summer can be turned from a setback into an opportunity.
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States face uncertainty as $6.2 billion in K–12 federal funding remains unreleased. If the U.S. Department of Education doesn’t distribute these funds by July 1, state educational agencies will need plans to help mitigate disruption to essential programs.
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U.S. students rank poorly in global math scores—outdated instruction is to blame. To prepare students for increasingly complex modern times, we must rethink how we teach math.
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State leaders from California, Mississippi, New York, and Texas joined LPI to discuss their states’ approaches to tackling teacher workforce issues. Their experiences may offer lessons for other states seeking to use legislative actions and financial incentives to better prepare and retain educators.
Linda Darling-HammondJonathan KaplanMichael A. DiNapoli Jr.
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Recent NAEP data reveal widening achievement gaps, especially for the lowest-performing students. What’s the path forward? Research makes it clear: well-targeted investments boost outcomes, narrow disparities, and support long-term success.
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California has made significant progress in aligning K–12 education policies, but successful implementation of new standards, particularly in math and English language arts, requires sustained and comprehensive teacher professional development. To build instructional capacity at scale, investments in ongoing teacher training, digital tools, and embedded professional learning are needed.
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In his sixth decade of education policy, Michael W. Kirst looks to the past and future, reflecting on policy reforms enacted during his four terms as California State Board of Education President and elevating lessons that can inform a new roadmap to build instructional capacity in all California classrooms.
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Teacher shortages are widespread, yet layoffs occur annually. This paradox stems from converging factors such as state and local funding decisions, fluctuations in public school enrollment, and the impending expiration of federal ESSER funds.
