Unfilled teachers’ slots in the US have risen at an alarming rate in the US to the tune of 307,000. Since the Great Recession of 2008, the US lost at least 60,000 jobs in the education sector.
Based on this undertaking, 247,000 more teaching slots were required to be created so that they could match the growing student population.
As a result, unfilled teachers’ slots have reached 307,000. This, therefore, means that the educators presently needed at the moment in the US surpass 300,000.
U.S. hiring outlook remains strong as employers continue to predict optimistic hiring in the fourth quarter despite the reality that only a few are really qualified to teach. The lure of teaching jobs seems to be fading. Teachers’ breakdown has also been implied in society.
Unfilled teachers slots are spread over the industry.
Unfilled teachers’ slots worrying
The data about the unfilled teachers’ slots show the worrying trend being witnessed in the US education sector. Notably, a looming teachers’ shortage has instigated a crisis in this industry.
Some data centers have estimated the staggering teacher shortage crisis. For example, the Learning Policy Institute, an independent research group, has depicted that the teacher shortage was 112,000 in 2018.
This study utilized data availed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as analyzed by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a liberal think-tank.
Unfilled teachers’ slots prompted by overworking and underpayment
According to a senior economist at EPI, Elise Gould, the unfilled teachers’ slots may have been instigated by decreased funding and dwindling wages in public education.
On average, teachers are usually paid $60,000 annually. These rates, however, vary based on various factors, such as type of school and state.
These wages do not correlate with the tasks performed by teachers. For instance, Melanie Weir of Business Insider notes that the $60,000 pay given to teachers is similar to that offered to event planners and personal trainers.
Many states in the US have expressed concerns that there is increasing unfilled teachers’ slots across the country. One of the main reasons for the lack of qualified faculty members is that fewer students are interested in pursuing higher education to become teachers. Another big concern is that many of the educated and trained teachers decide to leave the profession.
