Teacher Staffing Challenges and the Inequitable Distribution of Teachers

• In Event: Dismantling Racial Inequities in Teaching: How to Transform Policy Around Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Abstract

Objectives and Perspectives

Teacher shortages—in which schools cannot fill a teaching position or must fill a position with a teacher who is not fully certified—have substantial financial consequences for districts and increase school instability which can diminish teacher effectiveness and negatively affect students (Nguyen et al., 2022; Ronfeldt et al., 2013; Sorensen & Ladd, 2020; Sutcher et al., 2016). Filling a vacancy can cost up to $21,000 in urban districts (Authors, 2017), with the total cost of U.S. teacher turnover estimated at $7.3 billion per year (Carrol, 2007). Higher teacher turnover and increased reliance on teachers not fully certified tends to be more common at schools serving more students of color, which make staffing challenges an important contributor to educational inequities (Cardichon et al., 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic may have furthered exacerbated shortages—which have been long-standing in certain schools and subject areas—due to increased demands on the teachers, high levels of teacher burnout and stress, and increased student mental health and behavioral challenges (Steiner et al., 2022; The National Center for Education Statistics, 2022).

Data and Methods

This analysis draws on three data sources capturing information about teacher shortages in the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school years: (1) the National Teacher and Principal Survey’s public school survey, (2) the national School Pulse Panel, and (3) state-level data collected by the authors covering 21 states (see Table 1 for more information). These sources offer different types of information about teacher vacancies, including the percent of schools with unfilled positions in certain subjects and how schools respond to vacancies.

This descriptive analysis examines patterns in national and state-level data using cross-tabulations and correlations. We present national and state-specific estimates of teacher vacancies and staffing challenges, along with analyses that examine how these challenges may disproportionately affect schools serving more students of color.

Findings and Significance

Vacancies and related staffing challenges are affecting many schools nationally, with an estimated 47% of public schools with at least one vacancy in the 2020-21 school year reporting that they either were unable to fill that vacancy or found it very difficult to fill. As shown in Figure 1, schools serving more students of color are more likely to have multiple vacancies. Schools serving more students of color are also more likely to hire uncertified or inexperienced teachers to fill vacancies, both nationally and in almost every state.

Numerous policies may contribute to the inequitable distribution of teachers, including common approaches to addressing shortages. For example, states often rely on teachers working on emergency credentials to fill vacancies without investing in other solutions. These teachers, who often have limited preparation, are less likely to remain in the profession and can further contribute to staffing instability. Longer-term investments that target schools most affected by staffing challenges—such as grow-your-own programs or high retention pathways into the profession—are needed to address these challenges.

Authors

• Melanie Leung-Gagné, Learning Policy Institute

• Susan Kemper Patrick, Learning Policy Institute

• Marguerite Franco, Learning Policy Institute

• Tiffany S. Tan, Learning Policy Institute