LPI In the News

Miami’s Community Newspapers by Florida International University | Despite challenges, the teaching profession still offers great rewards, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, tells students in the Florida International University teaching program. The article cites a Learning Policy Institute report that states 2016 could be the year with the fewest number of teachers available in a decade.

Albuquerque Journal | The editorial takes issue with what it says are misleading statistics in a Learning Policy Institute study about the numbers of New Mexico teachers who left their jobs between the 2011 and 2012 school years. Figures are misleading, the editorial states, because some of those teachers counted as leaving moved to another school or to non-classroom jobs such as administrator or instructional coach. Retirements are also down in New Mexico, the editorial says.

Great Falls Tribune by Sarah Dettmer | It took until the end of October for Great Falls Public Schools to fill all its teaching positions, and more vacancies are expected by the end of the semester. Insufficient salary and fewer students in teacher preparation programs help explain the shortage, the article states. The Learning Policy Institute state ratings and its report on the teaching shortage throughout the U.S. are cited.

The Morning Call by Jacqueline Palochko | Pennsylvania is suffering an “alarmingly low” number of students becoming teachers. The state is taking steps to attract college students to teaching majors with such incentives as easing certification requirements, loan forgiveness, and certification fee reductions for veterans and their spouses. The article cites Learning Policy Institute findings on reasons for the teacher shortage and statistics on teacher education enrollment.

Education Dive by Tara García Mathewson | The article points to studies showing that black teachers leave the profession for such reasons as being prevented from moving from low-performing classrooms to more academically challenging ones and being seen as less competent than their white colleagues. The article also says it should be noted that attrition rates for teachers are lower than those for workers in other U.S. industries even though the Learning Policy Institute emphasizes that U.S. teacher attrition rates can be double what they are in some countries.

EducationDIVE by Tara García Mathewson | Significantly fewer children from families living below the poverty level receive early childhood education than children of families with incomes at least twice the poverty level, according to the American Institutes for Research. Noting that poor children often start kindergarten at a disadvantage that lasts for years, the “Dive Insight” points out that the Learning Policy Institute has highlighted early childhood education success stories in several states.

Parent Herald by Olivia Reese | The article cites reports and statistics from the Grand Forks Herald, The Washington Post, and the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement that illustrate a widespread teacher shortage at the same time as demand for teachers grows. The author refers to the Learning Policy Institute study on the shortage that shows that problems related to the reduced availability of teachers vary by state.

EducationDIVE by Tara García Mathewson | The DIVE brief recounts an NPR Ed story in which four teachers explain why they left teaching. The “Dive Insight” concludes that most teachers leave the classroom because of their working conditions. A Learning Policy Institute report is cited that notes that the 8% attrition rate of U.S. teachers is about double that of countries with a high-performing education system.

Education Talk Radio with Larry Jacobs | In a 40-minute interview, Leib Sutcher and Anne Podolsky of the Learning Policy Institute talk about the current teacher shortage that could become a crisis if no action is taken. Issues addressed include: attrition as a major factor in the shortage; approaches to solving the shortage; state differences in the availability of teachers; how Millennials view teaching as a profession; and cycles of teacher shortages.

Education Week/Commentary by Justin Louie | A high school chemistry teacher posits that a supportive environment and opportunities to hone skills “in a nonjudgmental space” are critical to improving teacher skills and improving retention. The article refers to a Learning Policy Institute report showing a dip in the number of California teaching credentials for science teachers.