Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Teacher Shortage 2

From News Nation:

“State-by-state teacher shortages (and what they’re doing about it)”

Recruiting veterans and first responders. Offering $60,000 starting salaries. Providing student loan forgiveness. Helping with mortgages. Every state in the country is coming up with solutions to combat the teacher shortage. Across the country, there are 36,000 teacher vacancies, from kindergarten through high school, and another 163,000 teachers aren’t qualified for their jobs, according to data collected by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. The shortage is so impactful, some schools have resorted to untraditional concepts such as switching to four-day school weeks. Curious about what your state is doing to solve its teacher shortage? Wondering if you may have the opportunity to become a teacher because of state reforms? Below is a list of the teacher shortages in every state, what the state is doing about them, and whether that state will accept an out-of-state teaching license. It’s important to note some data may be incomplete. While some states track teacher vacancies, many do not require their school districts to report shortages, or do not have real-time or year-over-year data for comparison.

New Mexico According to the 2022 New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report, New Mexico has 1,344 teacher vacancies, an increase from the previous year. When breaking down the open positions by grade level and subject area, the report says the largest need was for special education teachers, closely followed by elementary school teachers. Teacher shortage solutions The New Mexico Public Education Department is recruiting aspiring teachers through the Teaching Is Changing Lives campaign, implementing residency programs in eight universities and having allocations for 500 educator fellows. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes, but it is limited reciprocity. According to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Interstate Agreement website, eligible out-of-state teachers will receive a license similar to what was held in another state when all appropriate documentation is included in their application.

New York NewsNation-affiliate WTEN reports that New York is expected to need 180,000 new teachers in the next decade, but there may not be enough teachers to fill those roles. People enrolled in the state’s teacher enrollment programs has decreased by almost 50% while New York’s student population is expected to grow by 61,000 in the next seven years. Teacher shortage solutions In June, the New York Board of Regents modified teaching certification requirements by slashing what was once 100 hours of required in-class teaching to 50 hours. New York also has two grant programs for school districts struggling with recruiting new teachers. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Out-of-state teachers must have a valid teaching certificate from another state and complete an approved teacher education program comparable to New York’s requirements or have three years of teaching experience within the previous seven years under the certificate.

North Carolina The percentage of North Carolina teachers leaving the profession has been relatively stable at around 8%, a North Carolina Department of Public Instruction spokesperson tells NewsNation. That equates to around 7,000 to 8,000 teachers leaving each year out of a workforce of around 95,000, according to data from the 2020-2021 school year. Within the same set of data, the state found that the highest number of vacancies were reported in elementary grades (core areas of math, English, science and social studies), special education across all grade levels and math at the middle and high school levels. Teacher shortage solutions The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is proposing changes to how North Carolina teachers are paid and licensed. “Reforming the model would allow the state to support, and sustain, current teachers with better compensation and opportunities for career advancement while also supporting early-career teachers through a professional system of support. This opportunity for reform is an important way we can directly address some of the vacancy challenges districts are experiencing,” a spokesperson said. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. North Carolina grants a reciprocal license to eligible teachers based on the education program that a teacher has completed, experience, test scores and transcripts.

North Dakota For the 2021-2022 school year, North Dakota had about 167 teaching vacancies along with 330 people teaching in an irregular capacity, according to an October report by the Grand Forks Herald. Teacher shortage solutions Educators who teach in locations or content areas identified as having shortages are, in some cases, eligible for student loan forgiveness. State policy also supports personalized, competency-based learning that gives school districts more local control. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s education budget recommendations include $4 million for a program that provides incentives for education paraprofessionals to become licensed teachers and $2.1 million for a teacher mentorship program. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Teachers will need to show the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board a copy of their valid and current out-of-state teaching license with confirmation of the other state educator license form.

Ohio The Ohio Education Association reports that preliminary July 2022 data shows a decrease of 17,000 K-12 public school employees in Ohio versus employment levels in July 2019. The data did not distinguish between teachers specifically and other school employees. “It is alarming that Ohio’s public education workforce is 6% smaller now than three years ago. During the same period, public school enrollment in Ohio declined by 2%,” the association wrote in its latest teacher recruitment and retention report. U.S. Department of Education data for the 2022-2023 school year shows Ohio’s largest teacher shortages in the following areas: special education, career and technical education, art and music, and English as a second language. Teacher shortage solutions The Ohio Department of Education has a “Grow Your Own” strategy when it comes to teacher recruitment and retention. The approach aims to attract community members to the teaching profession in high-need areas to increase diversity and retention by drawing from local areas. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Out-of-state teachers who wish to teach in Ohio must go through an evaluation process to determine eligibility for an Ohio teaching license.

Oklahoma Oklahoma has seen an uptick in emergency certifications in the last 10 years. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Department of Education tells NewsNation that in 2022 the state had a record number, 4,426, of emergency certified teachers. Teacher shortage solutions To help address the teacher shortage, a $5,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise is included in the proposed education budget next year. The average salary of a teacher in Oklahoma is $54,096. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Fully certified out-of-state teachers who meet the standards set by the State Board of Education are eligible to receive traditional Oklahoma certification.

Oregon An August report from NewsNation affiliate KOIN says Portland Public Schools alone had more than 200 open instructional positions, 80 of which were teaching positions in core subjects. The report also details 81 teaching openings in the Beaverton School District and 50 total openings in the Reynolds School District. Teacher shortage solutions Oregon has a teacher loan forgiveness program for eligible teachers at schools in the state’s Teacher Cancellation Low Income Directory. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Oregon issues reciprocal teaching licenses to eligible teachers who have completed an educator preparedness program and hold an active and valid nonprovisional license from another state.

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania’s Educator Workforce Strategy for 2022-2025 states that by August 2025, Pennsylvania will need thousands of new teachers, hundreds of new principals, and thousands of educators in other critical roles. The report says the state “faces an educator workforce crisis” since the number of new teachers entering the classroom continues to decline and the rate of teachers leaving the profession keeps accelerating. Teacher shortage solutions Pennsylvania has a three-year plan, which aims to build a more diverse education workforce, streamline the teacher certification process, and give teachers access to high-quality professional growth and leadership opportunities by 2025. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Pennsylvania has signed an Interstate Certification Agreement that recognizes similar state-approved certification programs. Teaching candidates must still meet certain Pennsylvania requirements such as testing and student teaching experience.

Rhode Island According to data from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2022-2023 school year, Rhode Island has the largest teacher shortages in the following subjects: English as a second language, career and technical education, math, science, special education, health and physical fitness, world languages and language arts. Teacher shortage solutions Rhode Island’s Council on Elementary and Secondary Education passed an educator certification proposal that includes giving teachers in shortage areas with relevant experience seven years to get their certification as opposed to seven one-year renewals, the alignment of teacher requirements in career and technical education with industry expectations, and establishing alternative ways to recruit new teachers. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes, in some cases. Rhode Island recognizes full and aligned out-of-state teaching certificates, but still requires compliance with current state testing requirements. Rhode Island has special reciprocity flexibility with Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia.

South Carolina According to the South Carolina Annual Educator Supply & Demand Report, 72 of the 73 public school districts reported a 39% increase in vacancies. The 2022-2023 school year started with 1,474 vacant positions compared to the 1,063 openings the previous year. Teacher shortage solutions The South Carolina Department of Education used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to implement a statewide recruitment and retention initiative. The program has generated more than 2,000 teacher applicants from neighboring North Carolina in the past two years. South Carolina’s Department of Education has also advocated for higher teacher pay. In the past eight years, the department says starting salaries for teachers went from $29,523 to $40,000 in fiscal year 2023, representing an increase of 35.49%. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. South Carolina accepts valid, standard teaching certificates or licenses, but those credentials must meet a set of state requirements.

South Dakota NewsNation affiliate KELO reported in November that recent estimates by the state’s Department of Education put the number of open teaching positions in the state at more than 500, which is much higher than in previous years. According to the report, shortages are due in part to large class sizes and low salaries for teachers. Teacher shortage solutions In 2021, the South Dakota Teacher Compensation Review Board found that, compared to the rest of the country, South Dakota teacher pay ranks extremely low, but their wage growth percentage ranks high. A state task force has recommended the implementation of a new funding formula and benchmarks to ensure that average teacher salary goals are met in the state. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. The state where teachers hold their license must verify it and that there are no past or pending disciplinary actions for alleged ethics violations. From there, teachers can apply for a one-year provisional certificate.

Tennessee Ahead of the 2022-2023 school year, Tennessee had around 2,000 teaching vacancies, WVLT reports. According to U.S. Department of Education data for 2022-2023, Tennessee has the largest shortages in math, social studies, language arts, art and music, science, health and physical fitness, world languages, early childhood, English as a second language and special education. Teacher shortage solutions Tennessee has invested in a “Grow Your Own” initiative and a center that has built new teacher apprenticeship models through the University of Tennessee System’s four campuses.  Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. According to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) website, eligible teachers can receive an initial-level license if they hold either an initial license or professional-level in another state.

Texas According to reporting from Dallas Weekly, the rate at which teachers are leaving their jobs is the biggest problem for the Texas teacher shortage. They report that the state has experienced 8,600 teachers retiring since fiscal year 2021. Teacher shortage solutions Texas teacher initiatives include the federal teacher loan forgiveness program, grow your own and mentorship programs, and a redesign of the teacher certification process, the Texas Education Agency says. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? According to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) website, Texas does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification or licensure.

Utah A Utah State Board of Education spokesperson tells NewsNation that nearly 15% of Utah teachers are underqualified, meaning they do not hold a professional teaching license. Teacher shortage solutions Utah created two alternate pathways for people wanting to earn their professional teaching license. The state is also working to establish a registered apprenticeship for teachers. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. Teachers who have professional, unencumbered, renewable licenses in other jurisdictions may be granted a Utah Professional Educator license.

Vermont According to U.S. Department of Education data for 2022-2023, Vermont has the largest shortages in health and physical fitness, special education, math, science, social studies, art and music, language arts, world languages and early childhood education. Teacher shortage solutions Many Vermont teachers are able to teach under emergency, provisional or apprenticeship licenses. New state legislation also allows certain retired teachers to return to the classroom for one year without impacting their retirement earnings. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. According to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) website, Vermont allows eligible out-of-state teachers into their classrooms but requires certain requirements, such as the same education levels, to be met.

Virginia Teacher shortages in Virginia vary from region to region. A Virginia Department of Education spokesperson tells NewsNation that Virginia’s 131 school divisions reported approximately 3,600 vacancies with a total of 93,000 full-time teaching positions. Special education, math, career and technical education, science and English are among the state’s top 10 critical shortage areas for the 2022-2023 school year. Teacher shortage solutions  Some of Virginia’s recruitment and retention efforts include offering additional funding for school districts, awarding grants to help cover the cost of teaching assessments, and giving scholarships to eligible college students completing their student-teaching experience. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. According to the state’s educator career resource center, teachers coming from out of state may qualify for a Virginia teaching license depending on which preparation programs a teacher has completed.

Washington According to the Washington state’s Professional Educator Standards Board’s 2021 shortage report, progress has been made to decrease the teacher shortage, yet demographic, content area, role, and geographic shortages are still continuing to be an issue for the state. Teacher shortage solutions Washington’s educator programs include at least four scholarships or grants to address teacher shortages through recruitment and retention efforts. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? No, in most cases. According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, teachers must have a Washington certificate in order to serve in public schools. Teachers with either the Wisconsin Masters Educator License or the Ohio Professional Teaching License are considered comparable to Washington’s Professional Certificate Program. Teachers with those certificates may apply for certification in Washington.

West Virginia West Virginia’s 2022 Public Education Snapshot reports there are 1,544 teachers placed in positions for which they are not fully certified. Teacher shortage solutions The West Virginia Department of Education says there are multiple short-term and long-term strategies in place to slow and attempt to reverse increases in shortages, such as multiple pathways to teacher licensure, and a “Grow Your Own” teaching and apprenticeship program. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? West Virginia has reciprocity with all other states across the United States, but applicants must meet state-specific criteria, according to the West Virginia Department of Education.

Wisconsin School districts in Wisconsin are not required to report teaching vacancies to the state, so a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction spokesperson says it’s difficult to measure the size of a potential shortage. Different areas of the state have different educational needs and vacancies vary across Wisconsin. According to U.S. Department of Education data for the 2022-2023 school year, Wisconsin sees its largest shortages in special education, English as a second language, math, and science. Teacher shortage solutions Wisconsin teachers may be eligible for loan forgiveness or cancelation if they teach an eligible subject or work in eligible schools. Current teachers in the state who meet eligibility requirements for most financial aid must be employed as a full-time, highly qualified elementary or secondary teacher for five complete and consecutive years and work at a designated low-income school. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. If teachers have a valid teaching license from another state and at least one year of experience under that license, they may be eligible to teach in Wisconsin depending on a review of their application.

Wyoming The Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board does not have data on teacher vacancies, but a spokesperson told NewsNation some districts have larger numbers of open positions than others and that all 48 school districts reportedly had difficulties meeting their staffing needs. Teacher shortage solutions The Wyoming Department of Education and Professional Teaching Standards Board recently developed a teacher apprenticeship program that allows school districts to support prospective teachers who otherwise may not have had the means to become teachers. Selected apprentices spend up to three years in a mentored program in the classroom while completing college coursework. The state also has a recruitment and retention task force related to finding solutions for teacher shortages. Will they accept an out-of-state teacher’s license? Yes. A Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board spokesperson says Wyoming has many licensed teachers from other states that match Wyoming teaching requirements.

^ Hopefully everyone in every State will now, finally, see and understand just how much Teachers do and will start treating them with the respect and pay they deserve. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/education/education-reform/hold-how-each-state-is-solving-its-teacher-shortage-and-could-you-become-a-teacher/

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