[ education ]
National Te a c her Shortage
The Alarming Reality Hits Home
JENNIFER POTTS
Education has been a hot topic across West Virginia over the last several years . Issues such as strikes , charter schools and the impact of COVID-19 on our students have garnered the attention of many . Now the state is facing a new challenge as many turn their attention to the issue of teacher shortages on the rise .
In 2021 , there were reportedly 1,196 teacher vacancies across West Virginia . With approximately 23,000 teachers employed by the state , this equates to roughly 5 % of teaching positions . In 2019 , the West Virginia Department of Education ( WVDE ) identified several subject areas as being in critical need , including special education , counseling , math and elementary education .
This challenge is certainly not limited to the state of West Virginia . In fact , many states across the nation are experiencing teacher shortages . In June of 2021 , the Southern Regional Education Board held a virtual panel on the topic . The presentation reported that during the 2017-2018 school year , 3.2 % of the nation ’ s teachers were not certified to teach the position they held . Additionally , 11.7 % of teachers had two or less years of experience , and on average , 12.3 % of teachers were planning to leave the profession .
One might be tempted to think that the teacher shortage is a new problem created by the COVID-19 pandemic . However , Carla Warren , Ed . D ., director of the Office of Educator Development and Support for the WVDE , explains evidence supports this issue running deeper than the pandemic .
“ According to the findings from the National Education Shortage Summit held in early 2022 , the education labor market was beginning to drift toward a talent shortage prior to the COVID-19 pandemic ,” she says .
According to a report from Hanover Research published in 2021 on the topic of teacher retention , teacher shortages began more than 10 years ago , and the number of students enrolling in and graduating from teacher preparation programs is decreasing . In the state of West Virginia , there are 18 such programs at higher education institutions . During the 2020-2021 school year , only 502 teachers graduated from these programs , meaning that the pool of new teachers to draw from is shrinking .
Although the teacher shortage began before the pandemic , the past few years have been hard for everyone and seem to have further exacerbated the issue . Teachers have faced increased demands and stress levels as they attempted to
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