Posts Tagged ‘shortage’

In Michigan: Finding Solutions for SPED Teacher Shortage

As the teacher shortage in Michigan continues to affect the state, national shortages like the ones for special education teachers have led to new approaches to finding solutions for the issue.

According to Lansing City Pulse, in a survey of 46 out of the 56 intermediate school districts in Michigan, most districts selected special education teachers as one of their most critical shortages. 

Special education teacher pay differs by district in the United States, with 2022 median pay at $62,950 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earlier this school year, the city of Detroit began offering bonuses to attract more special education teachers to district programs, an initiative that has shown positive results in other states.

Department of Education and Partners Launch PSA Campaign – Teachers: Leaders Shaping Lives

On November 9, the U.S. Department of Education, TEACH.org, and the One Million Teachers of Color (1MToC) Campaign announced their partnership for a new public service announcement (PSA), Teachers: Leaders Shaping Lives.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and the Biden Administration are prioritizing teachers and the shortage crisis by investing in strong teacher pipelines that focus on diversifying the profession. AACTE was consulted on this project and on the development of the PSA.

By demonstrating the value and impact of teaching, the PSA looks to elevate the profession, shift perceptions, ignite respect, celebrate teachers, and inspire more talented people — especially Black and Latino talent — to become teachers.  In a LinkedIn Live event that accompanied the PSA launch, Secretary Cardona dived into teacher diversity and shortages, stating that the teacher shortage is a symptom of a teacher respect issue.

Department of Education Provides New Raise the Bar Brief and Map Data

The U.S. Department of Education has published a new Raise the Bar Policy Brief, Eliminating Educator Shortages through Increasing Educator Diversity and Addressing High-need Shortage Areas. The brief highlights key Department efforts to support and advance educator diversity and address high-need shortage areas, as well as national and state data on teacher diversity and areas in which states have particular shortages. It includes visualizations spotlighting state and national data on educator diversity, including in a range of roles and the diversity of students enrolled in educator preparation programs, as well as data on states’ projected shortage areas for 2023-24.

The Department is committed to a comprehensive policy agenda to recruit, prepare, and retain a racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse and well-prepared educator workforce. This includes promoting educator diversity while recruiting, preparing, retaining, and supporting teachers, administrators, and other educators and ensuring that education is a profession that people from all backgrounds can pursue. Developing and supporting a diverse educator workforce is critical to strengthening student success. Additionally, addressing high-need shortage areas ensures all students have access to a high-quality, well-rounded education. Through Raise the Bar: Lead the World, the Department is working in partnership with states, tribes, local educational agencies (LEAs), and educator preparation programs (EPPs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), to eliminate educator shortages in our nation’s schools and to strengthen and diversify the education profession.

Most Public Schools Face Challenges in Hiring Teachers, Other Personnel Entering the 2023-2024 Academic Year

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the latest round of findings from the School Pulse Panel (SPP). These SPP data examine teaching and non-teacher staffing, technology/digital literacy, and community partnerships as reported by school leaders in U.S. public schools.

Key Findings

Staffing for 2023-2024 School Year

  • Forty-five percent of U.S. public schools report feeling that they are understaffed entering the 2023-2024 school year, a decrease from the 53 % of schools who felt understaffed entering the last school year (2022-2023).
    • For public schools that report feeling understaffed, 67 % of schools that have classroom aides report feeling understaffed in this area. Sixty-three percent that offer special education services report feeling understaffed in this area.
    • Outside of the classroom, public schools report feeling understaffed with their transportation staff (61 %) and mental health professionals (49 %).

Texas A&M Wins Federal Grant to Tackle Teacher Shortage in Texas

The School of Education and Human Development will lead research to support future educators.

This article was originally published by Texas A&M Today.

Texas A&M University will address the demand for teachers in Texas with the help of a $3 million Hispanic Serving Institution capacity-building grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Through the five-year grant, the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD) will lead the development and assessment of a pilot program to recruit, mentor, and retain students who want to major in education or human resource development.

During the pilot, SEHD will provide its expertise in academic coaching, advising and essential services as well as partner with academic units and divisions across the campus, including the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Admissions and Undergraduate Recruitment and Outreach.

Some Utah Teachers Are Now Earning $60,000 to Start, a Salary That Exceeds Neighboring States

8 Utah school districts are paying licensed, first-year teachers $60,000 annually to start, a salary one principal calls a ‘game changer.’

First-year teacher Margaret “Maggie” Johnston holds up a workbook as she works with her students at Crescent Elementary School in Sandy on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

This article was originally published by Deseret News.

Margaret “Maggie” Johnston carefully weighed her career options before graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in education.

When it came time for her student teaching, the lifelong Iowan made bold choices: teaching eight weeks each in New Zealand and Utah’s Canyons School District.

Johnston said she chose to student teach out of state and out of the country because she wanted to experience places she had never been while she was young.

When she completed her training, she returned to Utah to start her career teaching fifth grade at Crescent Elementary School in Sandy.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Johnston landed in Canyons District. For the past five years, the district has developed a working relationship with Iowa State’s School of Education to help cultivate new talent and introduce teacher candidates to Canyons’ schools and Utah’s quality of life.

TWU and Houston ISD Partner Up to Combat Teacher Shortage

This article originally appeared in the North Texas Daily

Texas Woman’s University is helping around 100 teaching assistants obtain bachelor’s degrees and Texas teaching certifications, financed by $500,000 in grants awarded from Houston Independent School District. 

The grants come from HISD’s Grow Your Own grant program, which began in May 2023 in response to the national teacher shortage. HISD offered 10 grants of $100,000 this year to institutions that “offer high-quality, low-cost pathways to aspiring educators,” according to HISD.

TWU was one of three universities selected, the others being Prairie View A&M University and Tarleton State University, and received five out of the 10 grants, said Lisa Huffman, dean of the College of Professional Education and Department of Human Development professor.

College of Education and Health Professions Team Earns Grant to Start Razorback STARS Project

College of Education and Health Professions faculty and Decatur School District officials met recently to discuss their new partnership. From left, Matt Boeving, Steve Watkins, Christy Smith, Jennifer Beasley, Christine Ralston, Kevin Matthews, and Ederlee Gomez.

A faculty team in the College of Education and Health Professions was awarded a $525,013 Teacher Quality Partnership grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will help produce a pipeline of teachers in small, rural Northwest Arkansas schools.

The team is based in the college’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, which prepares students for various careers in education. The grant team is led by Christine Ralston, a teaching associate professor, who is working closely with co-principal investigators Jennifer Beasley, Vicki Collet, and Christy Smith.

Collet will provide support for mentoring, and Smith will provide support for co-teaching, which are both pivotal to the Razorback STARS project.

K-State College of Education, Hutchinson Community College Develop Teacher Pathway Program for Area Students

Kansas State University’s College of Education and Hutchinson Community College have begun a partnership that paves a seamless pathway for area students to earn a bachelor’s degree in education online while remaining in their home communities.

This pathway program begins in high school, where students chart their journeys to becoming teachers and take dual credit courses through Hutchinson Community College. As they progress through the community college phase, students will be provided with comprehensive guidance to ensure a smooth transition to K-State Online and field experiences in their local schools. 

The innovative online platform allows aspiring educators — both traditional and non-traditional students — to balance their studies with other commitments while benefiting from the expertise of distinguished faculty members and advanced educational resources.

AACTE Launches Lunch and Learn Professional Development Series

AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch and Learns, new professional development opportunities for members.  These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy that you can immediately apply to your work. You can’t make it virtually? All Lunch and Learns will be available on-demand just for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.

AACTE will kick off its new Lunch and Learn Series on Tuesday, September 26 from 3:00 -3:30 p.m. ET with Building Partnerships to Address the Educator Shortage in California. Karen Escalante (California State University San Bernadino) will teach us about the partnership developed between the Riverside County Office of Education and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution. The mission of this partnership is to support teacher candidates into, through, and beyond teacher induction.

Alliant University and San Diego Unified Partner Through TEACH-LEAD Program

Alliant International University and San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) have partnered through SDUSD’s TEACH-LEAD program in order to support aspiring teachers on their educational journey. With both institutions dedicated to equity in education, representation in the classroom, and providing the support that teachers need both in education and practice, the partnership was a natural step toward shared impact.

TEACH-LEAD San Diego (TLSD) is San Diego Unified’s latest endeavor focused on eliminating barriers that hold future educators back from pursuing their goals. The new program offers both financial and personalized pathway resources to individuals beginning or continuing their journey towards a career as a teacher. TEACH-LEAD San Diego is the district’s new “grow your own” teacher pipeline program, dedicated to supporting individuals in becoming teachers in their local communities.

TSU Alumni Take the Lead in Shaping Young Minds as Educators, While Filling Shortage

This article was originally published by Tennessee State University Newsroom.

For Tennessee State University alumna Sa’Mariah Harding, teaching isn’t just about the subject at hand but molding the minds of future leaders. Harding graduated from TSU in spring 2023 and serves as a 9th and 10th-grade honors geometry teacher.

“I always knew I wanted to teach high school math,” said the former Miss TSU, Harding, who currently works as an educator at Valor College Prep in Nashville.

Amid the ongoing nationwide teacher shortage, Tennessee State University continues to produce and nurture the next generation of educators who College of Education faculty believe will shape generations to come.

WE CARE+Wellness Program to Support Arkansas Teacher Corps Fellows

David D. Christian, associate professor of counselor education and supervision in the College of Education and Health Professions, works with two Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows.

This article was originally published by the University of Arkansas

An interdisciplinary faculty team has developed a wellness program for Arkansas Teacher Corps fellows with funds from a College of Education and Health Professions WE CARE grant.

WE CARE, an acronym for Wellness and Education Commitment to Arkansas Excellence, advances three priorities centered on expanding impactful research, engaging in service to Arkansas, and fostering a caring culture.

Arkansas Teacher Corps is a partnership between the College of Education and Health Professions, the Walton Family Foundation, the Arkansas Department of Education, and participating Arkansas public school districts to recruit, train, license , and support teachers across the state. The Arkansas Teacher Corps provides an accelerated path to teaching at a time when many Arkansas schools face severe teacher shortages.

Jackson State and Jackson Public Schools Launch Jackson Middle College Program

This article was originally published by Jackson State University.

Jackson State University (JSU) and Jackson Public School District (JPS) are hosting an open house and signing day for the inaugural cohort of the Jackson Middle College (JMC) on Monday, August 7, 2023, at 6 pm in the JSU College of Science, Engineering, and Technology atrium. The first cohort, composed of 17 high school juniors and seniors, will specialize in mathematics education to address the need for math teachers and educators in JPS. 

“I am extremely excited about this collaboration between Jackson State University and Jackson Public School District. Mathematics teachers are a critical need nationwide, and I am confident that Jackson Middle College will become the preferred ‘grow your own’ model in school districts across the nation for ensuring a sustainable teaching force in critical needs content areas,” said Tony Latiker, Ed.D., associate dean of accreditation and assessment in JSU’s College of Education & Human Development.

College of Education to Use Grant Award to Offer Free Tuition for Career Changers Pursuing Teaching Degrees

This article was originally published by Clemson News.

The College of Education will use a grant award from the South Carolina Department of Education to cover all tuition and associated costs for 36 career changers pursuing a master’s degree in teaching from Clemson University. The College’s “Grow Your Own” program works with partner school districts to secure paid employment for students as educational assistants while they complete their degree entirely online.

The Department of Education’s South Carolina Grow Your Own (SC GYO) program addresses the need to increase the teacher workforce in communities throughout the state. The Department of Education created the program to partner colleges and universities with school districts to help aspiring teachers pursue degrees in education.

According to Michelle Cook, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Education, the program will prioritize placing Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) students in programs that address the highest needs across the state, such as middle-level and secondary math and science teaching positions. She said hiring professionals already working as assistants in schools – or those from other industries with a strong desire to become teachers in home districts – naturally creates a motivated group of graduate students.