Dive Brief:
- In October, Indiana legislators on a committee devoted to education will take on teacher shortages in the state as fears mount over a lack of qualified candidates.
- The number of people obtaining teacher licenses in Indiana fell by more than half between 2009 and 2013.
- Schools, especially in the south-central region of the state, have struggled to hire teachers for math, science, and foreign languages.
Dive Insight:
Following news earlier this year that enrollment in teacher training programs was dropping steeply, states across the country have been grappling with how to recruit and retain more of teachers. Kansas, in particular, has become the poster child for the teacher shortage, with hundreds of positions still open as the school year looms.
A lack of teachers can leave administrators with few options. Some may have to rely on substitute teachers until a permanent candidate can be found. Others are forced to combine classes, making for larger, less-manageable sizes. In some states, districts can apply for emergency licenses for local content experts who lack teaching credentials.
As we’ve reported before, those shortages are unevenly distributed across the country. As it turns out, they’re unevenly distributed within states as well — and may not be as dire as predicted. In Indiana, shortages have been concentrated in the south-central part of the state. But as of last week, most of the vacancies have been filled. Districts offered salary perks and did things like hire teachers certified in math who hadn’t taught it before. Still, one superintendent said it was the most challenging hiring season of his career.