In the spring of 2019, we were publishing our third-ever issue of SchoolCEO. Even then, the now familiar teacher recruitment challenges were already emerging. All 50 states reported teacher shortages in one area or another, according to a 2018 Education Week analysis—and school leaders were already feeling the pressure. In a 2018 Gallup survey, 83% of superintendents said that recruiting and retaining talented teachers would be a challenge for their districts in the coming year.
In response, we published an analysis designed to help school leaders attract an up-and-coming generation of educators, entitled “What Do Millennial Teachers Want?” Millennials were—and still are—the largest segment of the workforce, so it seemed they could be the answer to this mounting recruitment challenge.
But in the past four years, recruitment has only become a more pressing concern. This past October, the National Center for Education Statistics found that nearly half of schools (45%) have at least one open teaching position, and 4% of all teaching positions nationwide remain vacant. Low morale, inadequate pay, political controversies, and health and safety concerns are contributing to an overall atmosphere of burnout in schools. What’s more, as fewer and fewer college students pursue degrees in education, our pipeline of future teachers may be running dry.
The broadening scope of these challenges demands an expansive solution. In 2023, you’re not just trying to hire millennial teachers—you’re trying to hire quality educators of any age or background. That’s why, in this issue, we’re bringing you an even more comprehensive look at the problems surrounding teacher recruitment than we did in 2019.
In the largest study of its kind, we surveyed more than 1,000 teachers from ages 20 to 80 to ask what they want in a job and how they find career opportunities. We’re also offering solutions and strategies for different stages of the recruitment process—from strengthening your employer brand and attracting career changers to writing job applications and conducting productive interviews.
Your top priority as a school leader is to make sure the right people are at the front of your classrooms. It’s our hope that with these insights in hand, you’ll have a clear picture of how to tackle staffing your vital, resilient schools.
In the spring of 2019, we were publishing our third-ever issue of SchoolCEO. Even then, the now familiar teacher recruitment challenges were already emerging. All 50 states reported teacher shortages in one area or another, according to a 2018 Education Week analysis—and school leaders were already feeling the pressure. In a 2018 Gallup survey, 83% of superintendents said that recruiting and retaining talented teachers would be a challenge for their districts in the coming year.
In response, we published an analysis designed to help school leaders attract an up-and-coming generation of educators, entitled “What Do Millennial Teachers Want?” Millennials were—and still are—the largest segment of the workforce, so it seemed they could be the answer to this mounting recruitment challenge.
But in the past four years, recruitment has only become a more pressing concern. This past October, the National Center for Education Statistics found that nearly half of schools (45%) have at least one open teaching position, and 4% of all teaching positions nationwide remain vacant. Low morale, inadequate pay, political controversies, and health and safety concerns are contributing to an overall atmosphere of burnout in schools. What’s more, as fewer and fewer college students pursue degrees in education, our pipeline of future teachers may be running dry.
The broadening scope of these challenges demands an expansive solution. In 2023, you’re not just trying to hire millennial teachers—you’re trying to hire quality educators of any age or background. That’s why, in this issue, we’re bringing you an even more comprehensive look at the problems surrounding teacher recruitment than we did in 2019.
In the largest study of its kind, we surveyed more than 1,000 teachers from ages 20 to 80 to ask what they want in a job and how they find career opportunities. We’re also offering solutions and strategies for different stages of the recruitment process—from strengthening your employer brand and attracting career changers to writing job applications and conducting productive interviews.
Your top priority as a school leader is to make sure the right people are at the front of your classrooms. It’s our hope that with these insights in hand, you’ll have a clear picture of how to tackle staffing your vital, resilient schools.