Jennifer A. BlandSteve WojcikiewiczLinda Darling-HammondWesley Wei
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In Texas, a large majority of new teachers are now hired before they complete preparation. Researchers have taken a deep dive into the state of the Texas teacher workforce to understand the conditions that have led to shortages and to surface the solutions and policies that can help.
Jennifer A. BlandSteve WojcikiewiczLinda Darling-HammondWesley Wei
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Texas' longstanding teacher shortages have been driven by high attrition rates and exacerbated by COVID-19. Research points to the policy interventions that can help support the work already underway in Texas to address these shortages and stabilize the teacher workforce.
Linda Darling-HammondMichael A. DiNapoli Jr.Tara KiniBarbara McKenna
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As we ring in 2023, educators are leaving the teaching profession in record numbers. Federal policymakers should take action with a focused and purposeful set of policies to strengthen the educator workforce.
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In this issue of ASCD's Educational Leadership magazine Linda Darling-Hammond explains how the current shortage of teachers is not new, but the result of decades of subpar working conditions, low compensation, and models of education that emphasize regulations and testing. She draws on examples from the United States and other countries to make recommendations for developing a well-prepared and well-supported education workforce in this country.
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Teacher shortages were a concern in the United States even before the pandemic, but, since the pandemic hit the country, they have become even more widespread. Experts discuss this concern and how it can be addressed in this Congressional hearing of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies subcommittee.
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Research illustrates the importance of teacher salaries in recruiting and retaining an effective and diverse teaching workforce. As teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for districts around the country, a state-by-state analysis provides policymakers and others with a valuable tool for understanding teacher salaries, including how their state’s compensation metrics compare to those of other states.
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Wage indicators for public school teachers—such as average annual starting salary, average annual starting salary adjusted for cost-of-living, and average weekly wage competitiveness—can help contextualize how compensation aids efforts to attract and retain a strong and diverse teacher workforce across a state. In this brief, maps and tables show these three teacher wage indicators for each state and how they compare to national averages.
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Policies that affect teachers play a vital role in creating equitable student access to deep and comprehensive learning experiences. In Wisconsin, several key policy strategies have been identified to improve and advance the preparation of a stable, diverse, well-qualified, and equitably distributed teacher workforce across the state to support all students’ learning and development.
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One significant contributor to longstanding teacher shortages, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been an underinvestment in the teacher pipeline. Fortunately, federal spending packages currently under consideration contain funding that has the potential to help effectively address the school staffing crisis. Proposed funding would support high-quality and affordable educator preparation, an important tool for improving retention.
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The pandemic has exacerbated teacher workforce issues that have persisted for at least a decade. Because of these long-standing conditions, even small changes in teacher supply and demand during the pandemic have resulted in serious disruption for schools already struggling to fill teacher vacancies. Research points to ways districts and states can address the immediate crisis and build for the future.
