The job market for educators heated up slightly in the past school year compared with the one before it, according to a survey of higher education officials.
The “2004 Educator Supply and Demand Research Report” is scheduled to be available soon from The American Association for Employment in Education.
Preliminary results of the study were released last month at the annual meeting of the American Association for Employment in Education, which queries education deans and university career-center officers for a look at educator hiring.
Of the 64 fields surveyed, including those in teaching, administration, and such other school services as social work, half reported shortages.
As in other recent years, special education, science teaching, and math teaching showed the greatest shortages. In a sign of what the report calls a “slight recovery” in the job market, though, eight fields appeared to have “considerable” shortages this year compared with only one—general special education teachers—last year.
Also in short supply, according to the survey, were teachers for children whose first language is not English and teachers of Spanish. In administration, principals are needed.
A long-term trend of a slight surplus in elementary teachers continued, particularly in certain regions, the report says. But for the ninth consecutive year, no fields were reported to have a considerable surplus.
