Numerous school districts have been forced to cancel lessons due to personnel shortages, while others are relaxing their hiring requirements. This has led to a chaotic learning environment, with Florida beginning the school year with nearly 5,000 vacant teacher positions. The crisis has been so extreme that two states have temporarily abolished the need for college qualifications for potential hires.

How Would You Feel As A Parent?

Parents and teachers are concerned about the quality of education, as school closures and remote learning have resulted in students suffering great losses in their learning progress. Many teachers are worried that this shortage will continue to remain a problem for years to come. Veteran teachers that have been around for at least 3 years or more are leaving the profession in waves. The massive exodus is tied to broader trends about employees feeling burned and unsupported at work. in these challenging times, many school cultures are feeling a sense of hopelessness. Although teachers struggle to “find their own subs” their mental health is much more important than coming into class unhealthy. I believe that we are all doing our best to show up for students. As a parent I know, how I would feel if my child started off with a sub, and whether they are filling in for the long term or a couple of days- they are not capable of delivering the same instruction as a full-time teacher.

Teacher Shortages Are Not New, But The Pandemic Made It Worse

We all know the lack of full-time teachers in many school districts has been a long-term issue, but the fear of the coronavirus has only made the situation worse. Teachers are leaving the field or retiring early, forcing schools to rely on substitutes. I encourage my prospective teachers to become substitutes to try out different school cultures and the consensus is; people are actually being nice. My prospective teachers are saying that the school culture is changing inside the building. Teachers are talking to the subs inviting them to eat lunch with them, and often they will get multiple teachers thanking them for being at the school site.

How Are Districts Getting More Substitute Teachers?

Oregon and Missouri have made changes to the requirements for substitute teachers, making it easier to enter the profession. Despite the increase in applicants, schools are still being selective when hiring. In some cases, substitutes are taking on the role of full-time teachers, which isn't ideal since they can't provide the same quality of education. It could have a long-term effect on this generation of children.

Citations:

Dusseault, L. C. & B. (n.d.). School staffing shortage: 100 big districts tell us where they're shorthanded. The 74. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.the74million.org/article/chu-dusseault-half-of-100-large-urban-districts-have-serious-staffing-shortages-fixing-that-means-rethinking-teaching-and-working-in-schools/

Editorial l teacher vacancies up 21% since last year. Chronicle Online. (2023, January 26). Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.chronicleonline.com/editorial-l-teacher-vacancies-up-21-since-last-year/article_2c2e54af-4aaf-5a5f-a74e-b8d5139410f5.html#:~:text=State%20statistics%20indicate%20there%20are,peak%20in%20the%20past%20year.

NOW, S. R. N.-P. (2022, October 15). Missouri loosens requirements for substitute teacher certification. News. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/education/missouri-loosens-requirements-for-substitute-teacher-certification/article_2dc45174-499c-11ed-b482-77c04c61c60c.html

Yoo-Brannon, J. (2022, September 27). Exit interview: Why this veteran teacher is leaving the profession - edsurge news. EdSurge. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-09-13-exit-interview-why-this-veteran-teacher-is-leaving-the-profession