1. Increase pay and reduce class sizes
Bob Spires, associate professor of education, University of Richmond
The teacher shortage has become a crisis in the United States. In 2018, there was an estimated shortage of over 100,000 K-12 teachers. Meanwhile, the demand for K-12 teaching jobs is expected to continue to increase 5% per year through 2028.
Part of the reason for the shortage has to do with pay and working conditions. On average, teachers make roughly 20% less than other college graduates, according to research from the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that focuses on worker issues. A majority of teachers work additional jobs – either within or outside their schools – to supplement their pay.
Meanwhile, class sizes continue to grow, which teacher unions say negatively affects teachers and students, despite statements to the contrary by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Peer-reviewed research bears out that smaller classes are academically, socially and economically beneficial, especially to low-income and minority students.
To curb the shortage, I believe educational leaders and policymakers must take proactive steps at the local, state and federal levels to increase pay and resources for teachers, and alleviate pressure by reducing class sizes.
2. Improve morale and recruit diverse teachers
Doris A. Santoro, professor of education, Bowdoin College
During the pandemic, teachers’ work has been filled with uncertainty and anxiety. Their ways of finding meaning and value as educators have been upended through necessary safety measures that have radically altered their work.
There are no romantic “before times” for most public school educators. Before COVID-19, teachers were reporting ever-increasing levels of dissatisfaction. Schools were already facing continuing teacher shortages, with one estimate as high as 109,000 teachers working without certification in the U.S. in 2017-18. High teacher turnover both disrupts student learning and can degrade the work environment for those who remain.
These conditions may indicate the demoralization of a profession. And yet the profession could become better appreciated as a result of this pandemic. Families are learning firsthand about the demands of teaching as many students learn from home.
Significant state and local efforts are underway to recruit educators to eliminate the teacher shortage. Some of these efforts focus on attracting teachers who are Black, Indigenous or other people of color. Nationwide, only 20% of teachers identify as people of color, while the population of students of color is over 50%.
Policymakers, education leaders and teachers will need to confront the historic and current reasons for these shortages, including the mass dismissal of Black teachers and principals after Brown v. Board of Education, and classroom practices that leave many teachers of color feeling devalued and alienated.
