TEACHER SHORTAGE, YOU HEAR ABOUT THEM ALL THE TIME. THE U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY HAS CALLED FOR INVESTMENT TO KEEP TEACHERS FROM QUITTING. A TEACHERS UNION LEADER HAS DESCRIBED IT AS A FIVE-ALARM EMERGENCY. NEWS COVERAGE HAS WARNED OF A CRISIS IN TEACHING. BUT, ACTUALLY, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST TEACHER TURNOVER HAS INCREASED NATIONWIDE, OR EDUCATORS ARE LEAVING IN DROVES.
MANY SCHOOLS HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND ENOUGH EDUCATORS. BUT THE CHALLENGES ARE RELATED MORE TO HIRING, ESPECIALLY FOR NON-TEACHING STAFF POSITIONS. SCHOOLS FLUSH WITH FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELIEF MONEY, ARE CREATING NEW POSITIONS AND STRUGGLING TO FILL THEM AT A TIME OF LOW UNEMPLOYMENT AND STIFF COMPETITION FOR WORKERS OF ALL KINDS. SINCE WELL BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SCHOOLS HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY RECRUITING ENOUGH TEACHERS IN SOME REGIONS, PARTICULARLY IN PARTS OF THE SOUTH. FIELDS LIKE SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION ALSO HAVE BEEN CRITICALLY SHORT ON TEACHERS NATIONWIDE.
