Category: teacher shortages

Virginia Schools Struggling to Retain Qualified Workforce, More Teachers Leaving Than Joining

Public schools in the state of Virginia are struggling to retain teachers according to a new report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. An analysis of statewide teacher workforce data showed that more teachers were leaving their jobs while fewer teachers are becoming licensed for the first time, the Nov. 7 report states…


Remedying Australia’s Teacher Shortage

Commentary On Aug. 12, Australia’s education ministers released a National Action Plan on the teacher shortage. But reading the ministers’ statement on the action plan reveals that the proposed strategies amount to not much more than aspirational comments. The statement indicates that the education ministers paid tribute to teachers for their work, acknowledged the critical…


LA Unified Reports Fewer Teacher, Staff Vacancies as School Year Begins

After a years-long struggle with staff shortages, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is about 99 percent staffed before the new school year starts on Aug. 15, according to district officials. A spreadsheet posted on the district’s website Aug. 10 listed more than 170 teaching positions, among which about 80 were at high-needs schools—namely…


New South Wales Plan to Pay Top Dollar for Best Educators to Stay in Classrooms

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) could soon be paying higher salaries to top teachers and keep the state’s most outstanding educators in the classroom under new plans. NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said creating a stronger career path that rewarded teacher excellence was key to improving the education system. “NSW has some…


LA Unified Approves ‘Student-Focused’ $18.5 Billion Budget Amid Enrollment Decline, Teacher Shortage

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho earned unanimous support from the district’s Board of Education last week on both his 2022–23 budget of $18.5 billion and his long-term vision for K–12 schools in Los Angeles. The LAUSD—the largest school district in California—currently faces several challenges, such as student academic gaps brought on…


LA Unified Temporarily Fills Most Teacher Vacancies With Credentialed, Non-Teaching Staff

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Unified School District has filled nearly all its vacant teaching positions by reassigning qualified staff in non-teaching positions to classroom vacancies, district officials announced on April 26. Earlier this month, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho—who took office in February—announced plans to fill 426 vacant teaching positions with administrators and other staff as…


LA Unified Fills Half of Teacher Vacancies With District Staff, Finalizing Reassignments

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has temporarily filled nearly half of its vacant teaching positions with administrators and district staff, with plans to finish these reassignments this week. Earlier this month, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho—who took office in February—announced plans to fill about 420 vacant teaching positions with administrators and other staff…


Teachers, Parents Urge LA Unified to Bring Unvaccinated Teachers Back

LOS ANGELES—A group of parents, teachers, and students gathered outside the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) headquarters in Los Angeles on April 15, calling on the district to end its staff COVID-19 vaccine mandate and let unvaccinated teachers return to school campuses to help with the worsening teacher shortage. Dozens of adults and children…


Texas School District Implementing 4-Day Week, Teacher Retention Incentives Amid Staff Shortages

A Texas school district is adopting a four-day school week for the upcoming year amid staff and teacher shortages. The Jasper Independent School District (JISD) announced the changes in a social media post on March 16, one day after the JISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to give teachers and staff retention incentives for the 2022–2023 school year. As…


LA Unified Hired 1,700 Teachers Without Full Credentials This School Year

LOS ANGELES—More than three-quarters of the teachers hired by the Los Angeles Unified District (LAUSD) this school year were not fully credentialed, according to a quarterly report by the LAUSD Board of Education. The LAUSD hired 2,336 new teachers during the 2021–22 school year, among whom only 607 teachers, or 26 percent, were fully credentialed…