A study released last week by researchers at the University of Tennessee anticipates an acute shortage of teachers beginning next year, and a projected 31,431 teacher openings by fall 2013. Within the next four years, it says, 40 percent of current teacher positions across the state could be open.
William R. Fox, an economics professor, said the state has increased the number of mathematics and science classes that students must take, as well as lowered pupil-to-teacher ratios, but hasn’t examined the implications of policies being legislated.
Mr. Fox said officials need to assess the capacity to provide the quality of education that were mandating, based on the traditional routes of finding teachers.
