Oprah Winfrey said her fourth-grade teacher created a “spark for learning” and is why she had a talk show. Lin Manuel-Miranda said arts education “saved his life” and cited his sixth-grade music teacher. John Legend said his English teacher pushed him to apply for a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, which led to his becoming a successful songwriter.
Teachers have long played an important role in civil society. They shape, inspire, and change students’ lives. More broadly, America’s educated workforce separates it from other countries, leads to innovation, and fuels the economy. But as students head back to school, many districts can’t find enough teachers to fill the classrooms.
The Philadelphia School District started the school year with more than 200 teacher vacancies. And that is after hiring 700 new teachers. In Pennsylvania, the number of new teachers entering the workforce has dropped over the last decade from about 20,000 to 6,000. New Jersey is struggling to hire enough math and science teachers.
