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.
