
School Staff Shortages
Guidance, policy updates and actionable resources for schools & districts experiencing school staff shortages.
Background
As millions of students return to classrooms for the 2022-23 school year, much thought and attention has been given to the educator shortage. The COVID pandemic did not create the educator and education staff shortage. Our nation’s schools had been dealing with an increasingly intense teacher shortage prior to the 2019-20 school year. AASA is focused on identifying where school staffing shortages have been hitting districts the most and advocating for sustainable solutions.
In September of 2022, AASA conducted a survey with superintendents to understand the nature of school staffing shortages our members were facing. AASA’s educator shortage survey reflects real-time nationwide feedback from those doing the hiring and aimed to look at the vacancy rates of both instructional and non-instructional positions. In addition, the survey provides context of these reported vacancy rates compared to the previous school year.
AASA sought to find out:
- What percentage of your district’s instructional positions for the 2022-23 school year remain unfilled?
- What percentage of your district’s non-instructional positions for the 2022-23 school year remain unfilled?
- How would you describe the total share of vacancies (overall) for 2022-23 to the start of the 2021-22 school year?
- What are the factors contributing to your district’s 2022-23 educator shortages?
AASA's Position & Priorities
AASA is committed to advocating for the following:
- Federal education policy must address the educator shortage and acknowledge that schools need a pipeline of high-quality educators to operate, function and provide equitable education to students including support for existing and innovative instructional models.
- Federal efforts to support local education agencies with their teacher and staffing needs must include establishing a commission to address the long-standing teacher shortage exacerbated by the pandemic.
- Support the preservation and expansion of resources for future and current teachers to address the teacher shortage issue.
- The federal government must take action to address the specific shortages of bus drivers and other pupil transportation service providers. Such policies could include: Delay of Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT rule); allowing for third party administration of the skills and knowledge tests; creating an entry level CDL in school transportation; and a one-year exemption to social security earning limitation.
It’s abundantly clear that we need to build a better pipeline of educators who are going to exert the kind of leadership and courage that is needed today to move America’s public education agenda forward.
Daniel A. DOmenech, Former AASA executive director
Issue Updates
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December 13, 2022
Dept of Ed Introduces Spring 2023 Teach to Lead SummitU.S. Department of Education’s Spring 2023 Teach to Lead Summit, titled “Raising the Bar: In Pursuit of Equitable Opportunities Through Expanded Student Experiences and the Diversifying of the Educator Pipeline,” is an in-person convening March 10-12 in Atlanta, a collaboration effort called Teach to Lead.
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September 16, 2022
Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act of 2022On Friday, September 16, Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) introduced the AASA-endorsed Loan Forgiveness for Educators Act.
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September 01, 2022
The Advocate September 2022Your AASA lobbyists live and breathe Washington headlines all day and night.
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August 31, 2022
ED and DOL Letter on Addressing School Staff ShortagesOn August 31, Department of Education (ED) Secretary Miguel Cardona and Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Marty Walsh sent a letter to state and local education and workforce leaders.
AASA Resources
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March 01, 2023
A Soon-to-Be Lost Generation of EducatorsType:Article Topics:A New Jersey superintendent on what it means to the field to lose the dedicated service of those like a 35-year educator in his district. -
September 12, 2022
What’s Going On With Educator Shortages?Type:Report Topics: Advocacy & Policy District & School OperationsThis survey reflects real-time feedback from those doing the hiring and aimed to look at the vacancy rates of both instructional and non-instructional positions. -
October 11, 2022
AASA Quarterly Federal Policy Update - FallType:Webinar Recording Topics: Advocacy & PolicyAASA’s Director of Advocacy, Sasha Pudelski, will walk AASA members through the latest federal funding and policy changes -
March 30, 2021
AASA Quarterly Federal Policy Update - SpringType:Webinar Recording Topics: Advocacy & PolicyAASA’s Director of Advocacy, Sasha Pudelski, will walk AASA members through the latest funding and policy changes
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