Thousands of classrooms across the United States struggle to fill teacher vacancies each consecutive year. Just last year, there were over 400,000 teacher positions unfilled or filled by uncertified educators, according to the Learning Policy Institute. 

Given the history of teacher deficit trends in America, it’s logical to assume that efforts are being made to mend the problem. And they are- projects such as the Winter-Reed Teacher Loan Repayment Program in Mississippi are aiding teachers in unique ways. The program, which “over 3 years, the state repays student loans for any new teacher entering the teacher workforce,” has grown in popularity and continues to receive funding and support from the state. 

Despite such efforts, the issue isn’t going anywhere.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that there will be over 109,000 openings for kindergarten and elementary school teachers each year over the next decade. 

Arizona is a standout state as it faces some of the worst teacher shortages in the country. The state has the worst national teacher-student proportion in public schools of nearly 43.8%, which is less than half of the best ratio in the nation, nearly 94.8% in Vermont. 

Constant teacher retention struggles across the country propose an overarching question- what is the root cause? 

Stephanie Holder, a special educator in Arizona for nearly three decades, answered the question in three words. 

“Support, money, resources,” Holder said. 

Research from the Learning Policy Institute reflected Holder’s answer, indicating that 90% of annual teacher vacancies result from “teachers leaving the profession, often due to low salaries, difficult working conditions, and inadequate support.” Teachers without full preparation leave at 2-3 times the rate of those who are fully prepared, according to the Institute. 

Teacher salaries are arguably the largest factor driving educators from the field. According to the Economic Policy Institute, American teacher weekly salaries have increased just $29 in 28 years. From 1996 to 2021, the average weekly salary of teachers increased $29; Meanwhile, the average weekly salary of compared college graduates during the same time period had an approximate $445 increase. 

Many teachers throughout America face the effects of an insufficient salary. Teachers like Holder allow their passion to outweigh the challenges. 

“I’ve had two jobs for 30 years. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t,” Holder said. “And it’s because I want to keep teaching.”

As Arizona faces severe teacher deficits, a primary reason can be found in the numbers. The state ranks #32 on a national scale when it comes to average teacher salaries, dialing an average of $60,275. Compared to the best in the nation, California, who averages a teacher salary of $95,160. The near $30,000 difference is a primary reason Arizona suffers so much, according to teachers like Holder. 

“We come every single day, we’ve given up higher paying careers, oftentimes any type of recognition. And we do that because we know someone else is not going to do that.” 

Holder also expressed that although teacher retention is a prominent issue, she’s seen the primary source of commitment within her community. “Part of the reason we keep going is because there’s not enough people to do this job,” Holder said. “But the kids keep coming. They’re not going away.”

The effects of teacher vacancies in Arizona classrooms don’t just harm educators. Stephanie Holder’s son, Owen Holder, has witnessed empty classrooms in his own education. 

Holder, an 8th grader at Sonoran Trails Middle School in Cave Creek, Arizona, described a new perspective as to why teachers are leaving the profession. “There’s no substitutes,” Holder said. “And all the substitutes we’ve had have refused to come back, because kids are acting out.”

Substitutes contribute to a separate concern within the teacher shortage; the National Center for Education Statistics reported that nearly 35% of public schools are “extremely concerned” regarding sourcing substitutes. 

From what Holder has seen firsthand, he believes teachers are leaving the profession due to the lack of respect they face in classrooms. “Everyone at my school lashes out, and when there are substitutes, they feel like there's no responsibility,” Holder said. “Kids just kind of do whatever they want without respect for the teacher.”

Holder explained that he could never see himself as a teacher. “I feel like if I became a teacher and had to teach these kids, it would probably drive me insane,” he said. The effects of the challenges teachers face are transcending generations; 62% of teachers don’t want their own children to become teachers, according to the National Education Association.

In Arizona and beyond, changes need to be made to protect a foundational field such as education. Lawmakers and policies need to be open to change in order to better teachers, in Mrs. Holder’s opinion. 

“Everybody always says, ‘that’s so wrong. That’s so wrong.’ But nobody ever does anything about it, and I think that is the part that's just so frustrating... There’s a lot of room in education for change,” she said.