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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.
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Around the country, severe teacher shortages worsened by the pandemic have put greater pressure on teachers and administrators to scramble to cover positions. LPI researchers surveyed and spoke with districts across California to reveal the problems they face, explore the drastic measures they are taking to mitigate shortages, and offer state and federal policies address this issue.
Linda Darling-HammondKevin C. BastianBarnett BerryDesiree Carver-ThomasTara KiniStephanie LevinG. Williamson McDiarmid
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In Leandro v. the State of North Carolina, the Supreme Court of North Carolina found that children have a right to high-quality educators. However, access to a supply of qualified teachers and administrators is increasingly limited and inequitably distributed across the state. Expanding high-quality teacher pipelines and training, updating preparation and professional development, and other strategies could help strengthen North Carolina’s teacher and principal workforce.
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The current staffing crisis in public schools is taking center stage in communities throughout the country. Long-standing teacher shortages, combined with COVID-19-related absences, are stretching schools to the breaking point. Policymakers need to act quickly and strategically to address the mounting crisis and build for the long-term. Research provides a clear roadmap to guide their efforts.
