National teacher shortage: What is it, Why is it happening?

Published 5:01 pm Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Across the country, hundreds of thousands of classroom teachers are dropping out of school.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis reported 233,000 fewer public school teachers in 2021 compared with 2019. And, it noted that teacher shortages are most acute in western states, rural and urban areas, and high-poverty communities, and in subject areas like foreign language, science and special education.

Negative perceptions of the teaching profession and a “perceived lack of support for current teachers are among key recruitment and retention challenges,” the GAO found.

Just how severe the shortage is nationwide remains unclear, though, because there’s no definitive data that reflects that.

An estimated 49.5 million children were enrolled in public schools in fall 2021, and in the 2020-21 school year, there were 3 million teachers working in public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Institute of Education Sciences, a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, estimates that at least half of all public schools had three teacher vacancies on average because of factors like too few candidates, a lack of qualified candidates or salary and benefit concerns.

Over the past 18 months, 70 personnel members, both certified and classified resigned from Thomasville City Schools- 21 resigned in May alone. 

Thomasville High School saw the most resignations in the 18-month period, with 18 faculty members resigning. This number does not account for the two staff members who resigned from the Scholars Academy. 

Of the 18 faculty members who resigned, 13 were certified personnel, including 11 teachers, the Head Football Coach, and Assistant principal. 

MacIntyre Park Middle School closely followed THS with 15 resignations in the 18-month time span, 11 of which were certified personnel. 

The 11 included nine teachers, the reading interventionist and the band director. 

Jerger Elementary School had the least amount of resignations throughout the time-span, with only four faculty members resigning. The faculty members included two teachers, a food service assistant and one paraprofessional. 

Other city schools have cited their resignations as well. 

Harper Elementary School received only six resignations, while Scott Elementary School received 13 and the Central Office received nine.  The data provided did not cite the reason for resignations. However, many parents fear resignations will continue to climb as tensions in the City school district seem to be at an all-time high.