TEACHER SHORTAGE CRISIS IN AMERICA

Jul 26

2 min read

1. State-by-State Teacher Vacancies:

- The Annenberg Institute at Brown University estimated 55,000 vacant full-time teaching positions in the U.S.

- Florida has the highest demand for teachers, while Utah has the lowest.

- Teacher shortages vary significantly among states, districts, and schools, particularly affecting English learners, children of color, and children with disabilities.

SOURCE Annenberg Institute at Brown University, Teachershortages.com

NOTE Data not available for Arkansas, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Wyoming

2. Teacher Applicant Shortage:

- The ADP Research Institute analysis shows that the supply of teaching applicants hasn't kept up with the demand, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE ADP Research Institute

3. Teacher Applications and Wage Competitiveness:

- Prospective teachers are less likely to pursue education careers, especially those aged 20 to 30, due to weakened wage competitiveness.

4. Teacher-to-Student Ratio:

- Vermont has the highest teacher-to-student ratio with 94.8 teachers per 1,000 students, while Arizona has the lowest with 43.8 teachers per 1,000 students.

NOTE Scholaroo´s analyzed data gathered information from official public data available that displays the number of teachers and students enrolled in public schools in each state. The shortage area information is also an official public data (2022 - 2023) and reflects the total subject area shortages and the subject areas with shortage across the country. Data for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. not available.

5. Teacher Salaries:

- The average annual salary for teachers in the U.S. was $68,000 as of October 2023, which is 8% less than the average salary for all workers in the country.

- The pay gap between teachers and other workers has grown from 3% in January 2018 to 8%.

6. Signs of Improvement:

- According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 45% of public schools reported being understaffed at the start of the 2023–24 school year, an improvement from 53% at the end of the 2022–23 school year.