British Columbia (BC) has experienced a significant teacher shortage for years. While every region of the province is impacted, rural and remote communities have experienced a worsening shortage especially during the pandemic. Additionally, there is a critical shortage of specialist teachers across the province. This Education Brief outlines five…

Since March 2021, school district leaders have been developing and implementing plans to spend their "ARP dollars," that is, the historic $122 billion allocated from the American Rescue Plan to help districts recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic. The money, also referred to as ESSER funds (Elementary and Secondary School…

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), in conjunction with local school systems (LSS) and institutions of higher education (IHE), has conducted an annual educator supply and demand study since 1986, the original purpose of which was to determine critical teacher shortage areas. Although data are collected annually, since 2008 the…

Feelings of isolation, too little time with students, lack of administrative support, and increasing demands are challenges facing special education teachers and contributing to teacher shortages. If educators are to provide the high quality programs necessary for their children and youth with disabilities, while ensuring that they make good…

Alternative programs in special education are often developed in response to chronic personnel shortages. At issue, however, is the quality of alternative programs and their graduates. This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of a large special education alternative certification program that adheres to both professional…

This paper reviews the various recommendations for improving teacher education in the United States and compares them to educational conditions in Oregon. Recommendations are made to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission in four areas: supply of new teachers, assurance of quality of teacher candidates, induction of new teachers…

With both high retirement and high attrition rates among K?12 teachers and a burgeoning student population nationwide, more teachers are needed. Yet if we are to turn around schools in need of improvement, help all students meet rigorous academic standards, and close the achievement gap, simply getting more teachers into the profession will not…

This information kit discusses the need to have trained, qualified, dedicated teachers in all U.S. classrooms. Section 1 discusses the background of efforts to raise standards in U.S. education and examines the role teachers play. Section 2 describes the current state of the U.S. teaching force, noting that many teachers are underqualified, that…

The year 2005 saw a number of reports calling for actions to ensure the future economic vitality of the United States, frequently through the improvement of science and mathematics education. This trend will likely continue into 2006 as policymakers at the state and federal levels look for ways to ensure the United States remains economically…

The latest title in the popular Spotlight series, this timely book focuses on issues involving recruitment and retention of music teachers, a crucial issue in these days of budget constraints. Arranged chronologically, it features a collection of articles from state journals focusing on issues such as mentoring, teacher shortages, burnout, and…

This hearing focused on the subject of teacher recruitment and preparation. The hearing began with opening statements by several Congressmen (the Honorable Frank Riggs, Matthew Martinez, William Gooding, George Miller, and Robert Scott). Following the opening statements were statements by the Honorable Eugene Hickock, Secretary of Education,…