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Reductions in state revenue and corresponding cuts to state education budgets will mean significant cuts to teaching positions unless the federal government provides increased education funding to states. This blog explores the potential impact of state budget cuts on teaching positions. An accompanying interactive allows for a state-by-state analysis based on different funding scenarios.
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The field of special education has long been plagued by persistent shortages of fully prepared teachers. New LPI research finds that the high turnover of special education teachers is associated with such issues as inadequate preparation, professional development, overwhelming workload, low compensation, and inadequate support. What can policymakers do to address this shortage and help recruit, prepare, support, and retain these teachers?
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A severe special education teacher shortage threatens the ability to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, who often have the greatest needs but receive the least expert teachers. LPI researchers review the factors contributing to special education teacher turnover and provide evidence-based policy strategies aimed at resolving the shortage.
Jessica CardichonLinda Darling-HammondMan YangCaitlin ScottPatrick M. ShieldsDion Burns
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Access to fully certified and experienced teachers matters for student outcomes and achievement, yet many states have hired uncertified and inexperienced teachers to fill gaps created by persistent teacher shortages. These teachers are disproportionately found in schools with high enrollments of students of color, according to LPI analysis of the most recent U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, which has proposed cutting key data collection questions related to school funding and educator experience.
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How are California school districts and counties impacted by the state’s persistent teacher shortages? An interactive map enables policymakers, advocates, parents, caregivers, and others to answer that question by exploring data in critical areas, such as the percentage of teachers on substandard credentials, the share of beginning teachers, and the rates of teacher turnover—a critical factor driving shortages.
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The country’s crushing student loan debt—which has tripled since 2006—is causing shortages of well-prepared professionals in key public sectors, including teaching. The rising cost of education coupled with the fact that teachers earn, on average, 30% less than their peers is causing crippling teacher shortages. Policymakers can play a critical role in addressing college affordability in order to clear a path for well-prepared teachers to enter the profession.
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The Journal of Professional Capital and Community article, published in 2019, expands on the initial LPI report by situating the study within broader theories of human capital in the economic literature and discussing the implications of the findings for teachers’ professional development, school leadership, policy, and research.
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Education Policy Analysis Archives by Linda Darling-Hammond, Anne Podolsky, Leib Sutcher, Desiree Carver-Thomas, Tara Kini, Joseph Bishop, et. al. | The articles in this special issue examine the wave of teacher shortages in the United States. The authors describe the current state of the supply, demand, and distribution of America’s public school teachers and highlight the kinds of evidence-based policies that can break the cycle of teacher shortages.
Linda Darling-HammondLeib SutcherDesiree Carver-Thomas
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Teacher shortages have been worsening in California since 2015. In response, the state has invested nearly $200 million in programs aimed at recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers, but those programs will take time to yield the desired results. California needs to make additional investments to rapidly build the supply of qualified teachers where they are most needed and create incentives for experienced, effective teachers to re-enter and remain in the classroom.
Daniel EspinozaRyan SaundersTara KiniLinda Darling-Hammond
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Most states have been struggling to address teacher shortages for several years, often filling the vacuum with underprepared teachers. Governors and legislators in many of these states are now working to turn the tide. A new report from the Learning Policy Institute focuses on six evidence-based policies that states are pursuing to address their teacher shortages that can help states build long-term sustainable systems to attract, develop, and retain a strong and stable teacher workforce.
