Educational Leaders’ Reports on the Status of Michigan’s K–12 Workforce

• In Event: A Profession in Crisis? New Data on the Challenges of Recruitment and Retention of the Educator Workforce

Abstract

Like many states, Michigan is struggling with their K-12 workforce -- concerns about the educator pipeline stem from a decline in prospective teachers, increases in retirements and vacancies, increasing burnout and concerns about turnover, and a substitute shortage (Author, 2019; Mauriello & Higgins, 2022). However, data on vacancies and staffing are inadequate in understanding the scope of the problem because state reporting requirements do not allow researchers to understand key issues about supply and demand in the educator labor market, such as vacancies, why educators leave, where they leave to, or whether/when long-term substitutes filling assignments are being conflated with full-time teachers in existing datasets (EPIC, 2021; Mauriello & Higgins, 2022). As such, researchers in the state recommend the use of surveys to supplement administrative data and provide more context about the experiences of teachers and administrators (EPIC, 2021, p. 54). Gaining insights from educational leaders at the district and school level is especially important because they are most knowledgeable about hiring needs, vacancies, and issues of educator quality.

This paper presents data from a mixed method research project conducted in Michigan in 2022-2023. We collected surveys and interviews with district administrators (survey n = 114; interview n = 30) and principals (survey n = 205; interview n = 22) to understand/compare the extent and impact of staffing vacancies and shortages in the state. These data provide crucial context for the educator labor market and staffing shortages. We measure the perceived quantity and quality of who is available to be hired, how this varies by district/school type, why vacancies exist and in what areas (including non-teaching staff), why and where teachers are leaving, and the perceived impacts these dynamics place on schools and districts as organizations.

Select findings from survey data point to significant issues with the teacher pipeline:

• More than 50% of district leaders report that there is more demand, less supply, and greater turnover for all types of building positions than before the pandemic.

• 44% of school leaders report that special education is the most difficult type of teaching position to find qualified staff, followed by mathematics (17%) and science (14%).

• Two in three district leaders (67%) say that one of the biggest reasons for teacher vacancies in their district is that teachers were leaving to teach in another district.

• 60% of district leaders agree or strongly agree that neighboring districts poaching (actively recruiting) their teachers is a serious staffing problem.

• When asked why substitute teachers are most often needed, more than 3 in 4 district leaders (77%) identify teacher illness (including physical and mental health, burnout) as the most important reason.

• Almost all district leaders (98%) and school leaders (96%) say there are not enough substitute teachers in their area to meet their day-to-day (short-term) needs.

Preliminary results from qualitative analyses supplement these findings and will focus on the themes of “teacher poaching,” the impacts of instructional coverage issues, and the key strategies leaders engaged in to cope with shortages.

Authors

• Chris Torres, University of Michigan

• Nathan A Burroughs, American Institutes for Research

• Jacqueline Gardner, Michigan State University

• Rebecca R. Frausel, Public Policy Associates

• Dirk F. Zuschlag, Public Policy Associates