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.
School districts have fought for several years to find teachers, but the crisis worsened this year. Many cite stress from the pandemic, teacher burnout, low pay, and a decrease in college students entering the field. The Republican-led culture wars over what can be taught in classrooms — not to mention the persistent threat of school shootings — are other factors contributing to the exodus.
More troubling, the teacher shortage impacts poor urban and rural school districts the most. Further exacerbating the crisis is the lack of diversity among teachers. Philadelphia has fewer Black teachers now than it did 20 years ago, according to a recent report.
Last year, researchers at Penn State’s College of Education found a lack of diversity among teachers across the state. More than one-fifth of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts haven’t had a teacher of color in at least seven years, according to a recent analysis.
A diverse teaching force benefits all students. It is more reflective of the real world, and makes white students and teachers more aware of cultural differences. Research also shows that Black students who have at least one teacher of color during their academic careers are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college.
State and federal officials have taken steps to address the teacher shortage and increase diversity. The Pennsylvania Department of Education launched a three-year program to recruit and retain more teachers, including those of color. The Biden administration is providing $65 million through the U.S. Department of Education to support evidence-based practices to increase the number of teachers.
Meanwhile, some local districts have taken creative steps. Delaware County is paying for high school students to attend classes at the local community college. In Philadelphia, the Center for Black Educator Development is working with the Freedom Schools Literacy Academies to recruit Black high school and college students to become teachers.
Other states, including Texas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, have moved to a four-day school week as a way to attract more teachers, though the educational benefits appear mixed. Not all approaches are equally successful: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose state’s own culture skirmishes are driving teachers to quit in droves, added to the problem by allowing veterans without college degrees to teach. The teachers union there rightly said hiring unqualified teachers is a bad idea.
Here’s a better solution: Pay teachers more for the important work they do. New Mexico recently increased teacher salaries by 20%. Teachers in Mississippi received an average salary increase of $5,100. In Georgia, lawmakers awarded teachers a $2,000 bonus as a way to increase retention.
The American Federation of Teachers has suggested other steps to recruit and retain quality teachers, including decreasing class size, ensuring school safety, and creating a culture where parents are more respectful of educators.
Given their impact, teachers deserve at least that much.
