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With teacher shortages, not only does it affect the faculty, but it leads to larger class sizes, reduces course offerings, widens achievement gaps, and increases work for the remaining educators, significantly dropping student resources. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, approximately 23% left their teaching job.

Here are 4 ways to combat teacher shortages:

1. Offer Competitive Wages

Even though this is one of the simplest answers, competitive wages can be very complicated to achieve with constant budget cuts. By reallocating existing funds from administrators, non-essential programs, and combining shared resources, schools can find additional funds for wages. Schools should also advocate with lawmakers and politicians about school fundings coming from the state and local levels.

• Reduce Teacher Workloads

Teachers spend over 50 hours a week hosting classes, creating lesson plans, grading papers, and more, leading to burnout over the stress and workload. Implementing classroom products and tools already equipped with standard-aligned curriculum can help cut down on that work time. Teachers can also turn to more automated platforms to streamline tasks, and provide personalized learning experiences, freeing up more time.

• Increase Retention with Current Staff

There are steps school and district administrators can take to increase teacher retention, lessening its impact on students, and lay a foundation for an improved staffing situation in the future. Mentorship and Professional Development can be a good opportunity for providing additional value and continuous education. Create a positive and productive school environment by asking teachers for feedback or needed resources regularly.

• Hire Quality Teachers

Great teachers often inspire future educators. When recruiting, seek those who can inspire a deep understanding of their subject and have a high level of emotional intelligence. These qualities foster strong student-teacher relationships and showcase teaching as a fulfilling and impactful profession. Recognize these hardworking teachers throughout the year with their success and contributions, showcasing individual teaching value.

What other ways does your school turn to to help out teacher shortages?

Resources

https://www.edmentum.com/articles/7-ways-administrators-can-address-staff-retention-and-recruiting/

https://www.teachersoftomorrow.org/blog/insights/teacher-shortages-in-the-us/#:~:text=Solutions%20and%20Initiatives%20to%20Address,future%20for%20the%20teaching%20profession.