Addressing Teacher Shortages: The Challenge Beneath the Headlines

In every school I’ve worked with—urban, rural, and in-between—there’s one challenge that keeps resurfacing: too many students, not enough qualified teachers. But this isn’t just about vacancies. It’s about alignment. It’s about sustainability. It’s about support.

We don’t just need to fill jobs. We need to fill them strategically—because when staffing decisions are reactive, students feel the instability. But when they’re intentional, everyone benefits.

The Old Model: Reactive Teacher Recruitment (“Patch and Pray”)

The traditional staffing approach hasn’t changed much in decades. Post the job. Wait for applicants. Hope for the best. That works—until:

• The candidate pool for certified teachers is shrinking: for most areas of the country, local recruitment is a zero-sum game. When School A hires a science teacher, it’s because School B just lost theirs. New graduate counts and college of education enrollments are not keeping pace with staffing needs.
• Certification pathways take too long: while some states have adjusted alternative teacher certification pathways, many districts face a candidate pool locked behind a years-long educational process combined with a field experience requirement that excludes candidates who cannot afford to work unpaid for 4–6 months.
• Teachers leave mid-year (or mid-week): as burnout rises and salaries lag, teachers have both the temptation and incentive to move on sooner rather than later. Response times to these unexpected vacancies can be especially difficult.

The result? Scrambling. Coverage. Classroom disruption. And students who sense that they’re not the priority.

A Smarter Model: Strategic Staffing Solutions for Schools

Strategic staffing means matching the right educator to the right role—at the right time. Here’s how we’re seeing education staffing solutions succeed:

• Year-long teacher placements create stability and classroom consistency: far more advantageous to both students and buildings than a rotation of substitute teachers assigned without regard to content expertise.
• Contract teachers bridge gaps without lowering quality: this candidate pool is eager to serve student populations, leverage educational experience or content expertise, and allows the district to continue recruiting into the next school year.
• Career-changers enter education through alternative teacher certification pathways: while a single district may not have the long-term incentive to build these systems, private resource partners can craft pathways into classrooms—providing flexible solutions across multiple districts over multiple years.

It’s not about patching holes. It’s about building sustainable teacher recruitment and retention systems that put student outcomes first.

Lessons from the Classroom: Insights on Teacher Retention

Before stepping into education staffing, I spent 16 years teaching—rural schools, urban schools, alternative settings. That experience shaped everything I believe about education. I’ve given up my plan time to cover another classroom. I’ve watched long-term subs arrive without tools or support. I’ve also seen what happens when a teacher and a school are meant for each other.

That lens—grounded in the reality of classrooms—is what guides me now as I help schools staff smarter.

Action Steps for District Leaders: Teacher Recruitment & Retention Strategies

• Map your high-need subjects annually.
• Build relationships with education staffing partners early.
• Offer coaching and mentorship—not just expectations—to reduce teacher burnout.
• Stay open to nontraditional talent and career-changers.
• Plan with a year-long lens, not just a week-to-week mindset.

Join the Conversation on Solving Teacher Shortages

District leaders:

• What does strategic staffing look like in your schools?
• What creative teacher recruitment and retention strategies have worked for you this year?
• Where are you still feeling stuck in addressing teacher shortages?

Let’s keep this conversation going—not just for hiring, but for student success.