In 2023, state policymakers were faced with sobering data: teacher vacancies were at an all-time high. Not only were 1 in 18 classrooms without licensed teachers, but school districts with the highest percentages of black students and low-income students had the worst teacher shortages. The teacher shortage had reached crisis levels, calling for drastic action from lawmakers.
Unfortunately, that answer was not forthcoming, and now the teacher shortage problem is getting worse.
40 daysNumber As of the first day of the 2023-24 school year, 6,006 classroom teaching positions were open, 18 percent higher than the previous school year's record. This year, more than one in 16 schools had no one with a teaching license more than a month into the new school year.
These vacancies continue to be linked to school district demographics: Districts with more low-income students and more black students tend to have higher rates of teacher vacancies, a correlation that has become even more pronounced this year.
As a result, it is disproportionately students of color and economically disadvantaged students who are paying the price when lawmakers fail to make the investments needed to attract and retain qualified teachers in classrooms.
Of course, all students suffer when teachers are unavailable, and not just those who are assigned to unqualified teachers.
Teacher vacancies increase demands on teachers who remain employed despite efforts by state policymakers to move them out of the classroom. Vacancies increase class sizes. Experienced teachers must cover for less-trained, novice teachers and fill in when substitutes cannot be found. This leaves our best teachers with less time to plan lessons, individualize instruction, cover for less-experienced colleagues, and find regular time to relax from increasingly difficult and stressful work.
As vacancies grow year after year, more teachers are taking on more responsibilities to fill the gaps.
It is no surprise that North Carolina's teacher shortage problem is getting worse. The FY 2023 budget included no meaningful effort to reverse the war on the teaching profession. Despite the teacher shortage crisis, lawmakers have cut public school budgets and provided only a meager 3.6% salary increase that barely keeps up with inflation. The average teacher salary is 23% lower than the national average. Our schools are among the most underfunded in America, and our teachers' salaries remain significantly lower than their peers in other industries.
Legislators know that teachers are the most important factor within a school in improving academic achievement. Yet they have chosen instead to prioritize a massive expansion of the state's private school voucher program to benefit affluent families who already attend private schools. While it is clear that investing in teachers improves academic achievement, statewide voucher programs have led to unprecedented declines in test scores for students in voucher programs.
The voucher expansion also sends a clear message to public school teachers: state leaders would rather hand out subsidies to wealthy donors than pay teachers competitive salaries, repair aging school buildings, or provide adequate support staff like teacher aides, nurses, and school psychologists.
Lawmakers' failure to support teachers and improve their working conditions is at the heart of the protracted Leandro lawsuit, which mandated that all children have access to highly qualified teachers. The lawsuit prompted a detailed, research-based, multi-year plan to increase investment in educators and students to provide the basic educational standards promised in the state constitution. Unfortunately, legislative leaders fought tooth and nail to get the court to reject the plan, sending another clear message to educators (and students) that they have no interest in improving their conditions.
Congress continues to interfere with how teachers do their jobs. The Parent Bill of Rights places deliberately vague restrictions on how teachers can address topics related to sexual identity, limiting teachers' ability to support transgender students and other students exploring their gender identity. The bill also allows bad actors to submit requests for information and challenges to instructional materials, chilling the teaching of controversial topics and wasting teachers' limited time and resources.
Other bills targeting teacher teaching methods could also be resurrected this year. For example, HB 187, which aims to stifle honest teaching of history and current events, is awaiting consideration in the state Senate. Additionally, one senior administration official has called educators “evil people” and believes they are brainwashing students.
Is it any wonder that teacher vacancies continue to grow?
This doesn't have to be the case. There are some obvious steps Congress can take to attract and retain talented, well-trained professionals in every classroom.
- Significant across-the-board wage increases
- Adequate staffing of support staff, such as teacher assistants, psychologists, nurses, counselors, and social workers
- Investing in facilities to ensure each school provides a healthy and engaging learning environment
- Restoring funding for professional development and early career mentoring
Not coincidentally, these are all elements of the Leandro Plan.
If lawmakers want to address the teacher shortage crisis, they can and must implement evidence-based policies. Research-backed strategies will help break down the barriers that make it harder for students of color and low-income families to succeed academically. It's time to partner with, support, and inspire teachers.
