LPI In the News

The Front Page Online by Mike Antonucci | The author says the threat of a teacher shortage crisis has been broached since the early 1990s and that the student-teacher ratio has generally been decreasing for more than 50 years at both public and private schools. The Learning Policy Institute report on the coming shortage is just the latest in a series of teacher shortage predictions, he says.

EdSurge by Betsy Corcoran | In a wide-ranging interview, Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the Learning Policy Institute, shares her perspective on the state of public education in the U.S., what can be done to replicate models of excellence, and the use of technology in 21st-century classrooms.

The Washington Post by Emma Brown | An analysis by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, found that only 17 percent of homes for sale in California’s 31 most populous counties were affordable on a teacher’s salary. The article notes that the Learning Policy Institute report on teacher shortages has recommended housing incentives as a way to recruit and keep teachers.

WSHC Eagle Country 99.3 FM by Mike Perleberg | The article notes that in the Learning Policy Institute rating of U.S. states for teacher recruitment and retention, Indiana has a low score. Indiana received 2.17 out of 5 points, with only Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., receiving worse scores.

Education Week Teaching Now blog by Madeline Will | Unable to find a foreign language teacher, a Maine high school is using the Rosetta Stone foreign language software. Principal Jessica Ward says students are learning the language, but worries they are “missing out on the cultural education and the personal touch of having a real teacher available." The article refers to the Learning Policy Institute study that says the U.S. has a shortage of 60,000 teachers.

NEA Today by Cindy Long | The article features highlights from the Learning Policy Institute study on the nationwide teacher shortage, including recognition of the difficulties in filling positions in math, science, special education, and bilingual education. The article notes that the biggest deficit is found in the highest-need schools and that attrition is a major cause of the shortage.

Nonprofit Quarterly by Anne Eigeman | The article recounts points in the Learning Policy Institute report on the nationwide teacher shortage, noting that it is the most comprehensive look to date at the causes and effects of the shortage. The article also notes that the report includes a comprehensive list of policy recommendations for improving teacher recruitment and retention.

Tampa Bay Times by John Romano | Florida has some of the most inexperienced and unhappy teachers in the nation, according to a report by the Learning Policy Institute. The lack of qualified teachers and departures before retirement is no surprise, says the author. One reason is that at 25 percent, Florida has more than double the national average of teachers worried about job security because of testing.

CBS SF Bay Area by Holly Quan | SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — At the same time as public schools are enrolling more students, teachers are retiring and quitting, leading to a teacher shortage. The problem is not just in the Bay Area, according to the article, which quotes Learning Policy Institute President Linda Darling-Hammond on worsening conditions for teachers.

Times-News Online/magicvalley.com by Julie Wootton | Idaho, with a low teacher starting salary, but a high rating for working conditions, is among the majority of U.S. states struggling with a teacher shortage, as reported by the Learning Policy Institute, the article states. Idaho has suffered from a high student-to-teacher ratio and a high percentage of teachers wanting to leave the profession, but the state is taking steps to ease the shortage.