Time is not our friend!

Fifty-five percent of new hires in rural schools lack any teaching license and are unprepared to teach.  

    ---Jim Van Overschelde,  Co-Executive Director, Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence (REDEE) Center

Teacher shortages have been developing much more rapidly in the past decade than in previous years. It has reached a 'crisis' situation in many school districts throughout the United States. The pandemic years added to what had already been a developing teacher shortage problem.

Recently, it was reported that there were some 55,000 teacher shortages in the U.S. During an ABC newscast in late summer of 2022, NEA President Rebecca Pringle reported an estimated 300,000 teachers and school staff vacancies would exist at the opening of the 2022-2023 school year.

These severe shortages exist in urban, inner city, suburban, and rural school districts. The rural district struggle to find and keep teachers is possibly as severe, or more severe, as anywhere else in the country. 

Shortages created by university programs closing

Teacher shortages in every state have continued to grow over the past several years. Few legislative solutions, other than adding 'patches,' have been difficult to identify. 

The previous pipelines for preparing teachers have not been able to keep up and have experienced enrollment declines. Some 60 universities and four-year colleges have already closed out their programs due to a lack of enrollment. Well over 100 others are struggling to keep going with low enrollments.

Concerns documented on teacher shortages

There are other major concerns beyond the need to provide a new pipeline that needs to be dealt with by school boards and administrators across the country. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify why this large surge in teacher shortages has been occurring. Near the very top of most surveys has been the low wages and the inability to keep wages in line with inflation in recent years. 

Overloading teachers with additional classes to compensate for shortages in many schools, adding other duties, and spending weeks on high-stakes testing are some of the responsibilities leading to 'burnout' with many teachers. The 2022 Gallup Poll study found that teaching was the profession at the top of the list for burnout in the United States. The percentage of burnout for women was 55% compared to 44% for men. The same study found:

• Additional duties mean more work to take home.
• Covering classes due to substitute teacher shortages adds to the burdens teachers face.

   

  Numerous teachers, when leaving the field, also mentioned the lack of administrative and parent support as making the job more stressful.

  The 2023 Gallup Poll on teachers leaving their positions in the U.S. found that the teaching profession was at the top of all of the professions, with 'burnout' leading to leaving or retiring early. They quoted from their 2022 poll that found that female teachers reported burnout at 55% compared to 44% of male teachers planning to leave the field.

  An example of one state during the 2023-2024 school year, New Mexico, has well over 14,000 students without a licensed teacher. This number, when looking back, finds that since 2017, the number of students without licensed teachers is over 123,000 in the state.

  Rural schools' reasons 'cited' for teachers leaving

  In a study conducted by Ingersoll and Tran (2023) on the major reasons the rural schools were facing severe shortages of teachers, they found reasons other than wages and benefits. The most recent date they found was from 2021, following the pandemic, with the following reasons being the most cited for teachers leaving rural schools:

• Dissatisfaction with school administration– 63%
• Accountability/testing – 55%
• Lack of classroom autonomy/input into decision-making – 50%
• Poor or inadequate salary – 34%
• Number of students taught – 18%

  The authors concluded that going out to recruit more teachers would be only one of the concerns to be addressed. They pointed to the above reasons that need to be addressed, or the shortages due to lack of retention will continue at the high rate being felt now. The school management will need to consider how some changes in their management style and/or policies need to be adapted to address the concerns cited by teachers for leaving.  

  There are numerous reasons teachers are leaving the field in large numbers across the U.S. and other countries. Low pay comes out on top or near the top in every survey in recent years as to why teachers are considering leaving. It is also a significant concern for students when considering teaching as a career choice. In recent years, the lack of support from many school administrators, school district leadership boards, and parents are also primary concerns for teachers. 

  Becoming a teacher typically requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree in education or a related field.  In some states, the addition of licensing exams is required. To become a 'master of teaching' requires some years of experience and often also requires obtaining a master's degree.

  Brad Johnson's Hierarchy of Needs for Teachers

  Brad Johnson's Hierarchy of Needs for Teachers highlights what he found as most important for teachers: (1) autonomy, (2) maximizing potential, (3) being valued and respected, (4) being appreciated, and (5) having adequate resources and time, and (6) work and life balance. The following is how these needs play out for teachers today:

• Recognition and being respected – School districts that provide a recognition program for their excellent teachers should be better able to attract teachers. The Gordon Beck survey of over 23,500 teachers found over 50% of the respondents reported that there was not any form of teacher recognition in their schools. 

• Having adequate resources and recovery time – Another prevalent concern mentioned by teachers leaving the profession is the lack of administrative support. Some teachers report that they still spend their own funds to purchase supplies needed for their students. Far too much emphasis on 'high stakes testing' has replaced far too much instruction time. This has eroded much of the support teachers had given each other as now they are put into a 'competitive' position with the other teachers. 
• Overloading present teachers – With the large number of teacher shortages, 'burnout' becomes a significant problem for those teachers who now have to take on one or two more classes daily. 

• Work and life Balance – Teaching with an average teaching load is stressful in and of itself. Being assigned an extra teaching load takes away recovery time after school and on weekends.

  Into the future

  University teacher preparation pipelines have fallen short

  Universities can no longer draw enough students to their teacher preparation programs to meet the present and projected teacher shortages. Secondly, they do not enroll the number of 'diverse' students needed by school districts within the inner cities or throughout the rural areas. 

  Developing new teachers to enter the field

  Community colleges are proposed as a major solution going forward.  There are numerous reasons teachers are leaving the field in large numbers across the U.S. and other countries.  Low pay comes out on top or near the top in every survey in recent years as to why teachers are considering leaving. It is also a significant concern for students when considering teaching as a career choice. In recent years, the lack of support from many school administrators, school district leadership boards, and parents are also primary concerns for teachers. 

  The time to leverage community colleges in the U.S. as an important new teacher preparation pipeline is now. The community colleges are already partners with almost every secondary school district in Illinois and throughout the U.S. with dual-credit programs. Many students in secondary schools who are enrolled in community college dual-credit programs end their high school years with one or two years of college coursework completed. 

  In short, the schools needing teachers would only have a two or three-year waiting period for many of these students to obtain a baccalaureate degree in teaching. Many potential adult students live in the communities and may have jobs and family commitments. This makes it a much better possibility that they would remain in their home area school districts and find their teaching positions there. The needs that Johnson presented in his Hierarchy of Needs will also have to see much more effort by school districts in the U.S. and other countries to meet these needs.   

  Students who attend community colleges have been recently reported in the Community College Daily to have nearly 67% not taking out student loans.  This was compared to baccalaureate degree university students who reported that 39% had not borrowed money. This is a major benefit for those future teachers who can be educated in these colleges. 

  This same report showed that in 2019-2022, the public community college tuition was listed at an average of $3,990. Again, this was compared to the university and four-year public universities tuition at $11,260 during the same year.

  Teacher Shortages and Community Colleges Baccalaureate Degrees in Teaching

  A sample of Community Colleges* serving rural areas of Florida

          *When Florida allowed their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees in 2012,  their college titles were changed to Level l Colleges and became the Association of Florida Colleges.

  Chipola College – Enrollment 1,826 – serves 5 counties

   

           BS Teacher Education in Elementary Education K-6

           BS Teacher Education in English Education

           Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education in Exceptional Student Education

           BS Teacher Education in Middle School Math Education (grades 5- 9) and Mathematics    

                  Education (grades 6-12)

       BS Teacher Education in Middle School Science Education (grades 5-9) and Biology

                  Education (grades 6-12)

       BS Teacher Education in English Education

   

  South Florida State College – Enrollment 2,892 – serves 3 counties

   

           BS Elementary Education

   

  St. Johns River State College – Enrollment  6,825 - serves 5 counties
  
  

                   Early Childhood Education

Summary

An overdue NEEDED HEADLINE:  K-12 Schools Across Rural America Link up With Community Colleges 

In a critical decision to address the teacher shortages, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Rural Education Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the National Superintendents' Association have engaged the American Association of Community Colleges to quickly address the 55,000 teacher shortages nationwide.

IN FACT:  These national education associations, along with the National School Boards Association and the Community College Trustee Association, hold the key. By pushing quickly at this time can draw in a significant number of the nearly 1,200 community and technical colleges to provide baccalaureate degrees in those teaching areas with the most severe shortages.  It has not yet happened at this time.

The teacher shortages in rural school districts throughout the U.S. are continuing to suffer.  Overschelde highlighted that 55% of the new hires over the past several years lack a teaching license. Many also are not prepared to teach. 

The severity of the teacher shortages will continue without addressing these needs now and continuing into the future. The approaches outlined here in addressing the teacher shortages are both common sense and necessary! The community and technical colleges throughout the country number nearly 1,200. 

Florida has provided an excellent example of the kinds of teacher preparation programs that community and technical colleges can provide. Florida has 27 community colleges presently offering baccalaureate degrees in the educational needs of their K-12 school districts.

Additionally, community colleges can contribute to increasing the number and diversity of a future cohort of K-12 educators. The solutions for teacher shortages can be greatly improved via community and technical colleges. These colleges are found near all rural K-12 school districts in all 50 states.

References Drawn Upon

ABC News (2022, Aug. 11). US has 300,000 teachers and school staff vacancies, NEA President Rebecca Pringle says:  Educators are looking for respect and a decent wage.  Retrieved January 3, 2024, at US has 300,000 teacher, school staff vacancies, NEA President Rebecca Pringle says - ABC News (go.com)

Gallup Poll (2023). 2023 Teacher Shortage Statistics Prove We Need to Fix Education.  Retrieved January 4, 2024, at https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher-shortage-statistics

Ingersoll, R.M. and Tran, H. (2023, Oct. 30). The rural teacher shortage. KAPPAN.

Johnson, B.  (2023, Dec. 17).  Teacher Hierarchy of Needs. Posted on Facebook. Retrieved December 28, 2023, at https://www.facebook.com/drbradjohnson/

Overschelde, J. V.  (2023, Dec.)  REDEE Center's latest research reveals a disturbing trend in rural schools: 55% of new hires lack any teaching license and are unprepared to teach. Retrieved January 3, 2024, at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jim-van-overschelde-80949014_education-ruralschools-teaching-activity-7142521399050387456-faai

Meza, E.  (2023, Dec. 6).  Cost makes the difference for community college bachelor's students.  Commentary Community College Daily.

Dr. Greg Rockhold (pgrockhold@gmail.com) has served on the National Association of Secondary School Principals board.  He is a former president of the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators and former executive director of the New Mexico Association of Secondary School Principals.  He also had years of experience as a school superintendent. Dr. Hans Andrews (andrewsha@sbcglobal.net is a distinguished fellow in community college leadership through Olney Central College in Illinois.  He is a former president of the college.  He started the first dual-credit program in the country between community colleges and secondary schools. Both authors have had years of experience working in K-12 rural school districts in Alaska, Michigan, and New Mexico.