Staff Shortages

Education news, analysis, and opinion about challenges associated with having unfilled school or district staff positions
English Language Teacher Olga Dietz, middle, talks with Glenda McKinney, another English Language Teacher, in between classes at Mt.View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn.
English-learner teacher Olga Dietz, middle, talks with Glenda McKinney, another EL teacher, in between classes at Mt. View Elementary School in Antioch, Tenn., on Dec. 3, 2025. Across the country districts are increasingly in need of these teachers with specialized skills for helping students learning English as the national EL population continues to grow.
William DeShazer for Education Week
English Learners 'They're Our Kids’: How Teaching English Learners Is Changing
As the national English-learner population continues to grow, the role of EL teachers is evolving.
Ileana Najarro, March 4, 2026
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12 min read
Illustration of luggage, airline tickets and visa document.
iStock
Recruitment & Retention Opinion What Trump's $100,000 Visa Fee Could Mean for Schools
An expert on teacher migration explains the possible consequences for international teachers.
Lora Bartlett, January 22, 2026
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5 min read
Omar Muñoz teaches high school student Caden Wang, 15, during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025.
Omar Muñoz teaches high school student Caden Wang, 15, during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025. Districts across the country are looking for people like Muñoz, who has three decades of industry experience, to teach their CTE courses.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention How This District Works to Attract and Retain Hard-to-Find CTE Instructors
CTE instructors are difficult to hire and retain. This district uses external connections and internal resources to support its program.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 7, 2026
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6 min read
President Ford at work in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976.
President Gerald Ford, pictured in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976, signed into law the predecessor to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975.
Courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
Special Education 50 Years of IDEA: 4 Things to Know About the Landmark Special Education Law
The nation's primary special education law details schools' obligations to students with disabilities.
Evie Blad, December 19, 2025
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5 min read
Two teachers having conversation in office.
iStock
Recruitment & Retention Inside One State's Bold Plan to Keep Special Education Teachers
Pennsylvania's training and mentoring program works to retain teachers serving students with disabilities.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 19, 2025
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6 min read
Human icon print screen on wooden cube block with space for Human Resource Management and Recruitment hiring concept.
Dilok Klaisataporn/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession How Uncertified Teachers Went From a Stopgap to an Escalating Crisis
Using uncertified teachers to fill shortages may further destabilize the educator pipeline.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 20, 2025
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10 min read
Waist-up view of early 30s teacher sitting with 11 year old Hispanic student at library round table and holding book as she pronounces the words.
E+
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says These Maps Reveal Gaps in Special Education, English-Learner Teacher Supply
Long-term teacher shortages for these growing populations demand new solutions to rebuild pipelines.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 30, 2025
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3 min read
Image missing teacher in classroom at in elementary classroom.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention The United Nations Says Teacher Shortages Are a Global Problem
Worldwide, countries need to recruit another 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030 to meet demand, a new report finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 3, 2025
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3 min read
K12 Faculty GOS
kali9/E+/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Professional Learning Guide Your Guide to Recruitment & Retention
Combat staffing shortages with actionable strategies and tips from this professional learning guide.
August 13, 2025
Eleazar Sepulveda, an educator on a J-1 visa from Chile, teaches kindergarten at Veteran’s Hill Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas.
Eleazar Sepulveda, an educator on a J-1 visa from Chile, teaches kindergarten at Veteran’s Hill Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas, on June 18, 2024. It's unclear whether a recent pause on interviews for the visa will affect districts' attempts to find teachers abroad to fill hard-to-staff positions.
Lauren Santucci/Education Week
Teaching Profession Will a J-1 Visa Freeze Disrupt Teacher Staffing?
A federal pause on appointments for J-1 visas could affect districts, which have used international teachers to fill staffing holes.
Evie Blad, June 4, 2025
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5 min read
Surreal illustation of intersecting arrows and stairs.
Eoneren / E+
Recruitment & Retention Will Fired Federal Workers Consider Teaching? Some Schools May Soon Find Out
Thousands of federal employees face unemployment. Some states and districts see an opportunity to recruit skilled workers to the classroom.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 3, 2025
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6 min read
Overwork Burnout Symptom Concept. Tired Overloaded Teacher Character with Low Life Energy Power
iStock/Getty Images
Teaching Profession Teacher Burnout Is Real. What's to Blame—and How to Keep It at Bay
Teachers share their tips for avoiding burnout.
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 28, 2025
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3 min read
Image of innovative solutions around staffing.
Laura Baker/Education Week and Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Teacher Shortages Are Improving—With Two Big Exceptions
New job posting data suggests staffing support needs to be targeted at particular areas.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 17, 2025
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4 min read
Students in Miranda Baxter’s Welding Program work on projects at the Journey Career Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Students in Miranda Baxter’s Welding Program work on projects at the Journey Career Center on Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif. Career and technical education is rising in popularity among students, but qualified teachers remain hard to find.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention CTE Grows in Popularity Among Students, But Teachers Are Tough to Find
As career and technology education becomes more popular among students, schools struggle to fill teaching vacancies.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 24, 2025
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5 min read
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