sarah.cornelius@edmentum.com

Like many states around the country, Texas has faced a significant teacher shortage in recent years.

A tricky problem like this does not come with an easy solution, and for administrators grappling with teacher shortage, it certainly won’t go away overnight. However, there are steps school and district administrators can take to address the issue, lessen its impact on students, and lay a foundation for an improved staffing situation in the future.

A growing number of districts and states around the country have faced significant teacher shortages in recent years. Administrators have found themselves scrambling to fill open positions with qualified candidates and have been forced to find creative, and at times, less than ideal, solutions to overcome this issue. And, these shortages come with negative impacts on multiple levels. Teachers are left with larger class sizes, increased workloads, and classes outside of their area of expertise; students are at risk of missing out on the type of top-quality instruction they need and deserve in order to thrive academically. Here, we’ll take a closer look at what lies at the root of these teacher-shortage issues and what administrators can consider doing to meet specific challenges in their own buildings.