Teacher Shortage: Cause & Effect

Charli Bacus-Smith

March 1, 2024

The teacher-shortage in Oregon is caused by many different factors but has an adverse effect on a lot of people. Students have experienced a hard time learning due to the fact that they don’t have one teacher teaching them, but multiple different substitute teachers.  

“Students may have a teacher that is still in training or not yet trained. That means that they do not have the high quality education that they deserve,”  Superintendent of Brookings-Harbor School District, Helena Chirinian said.

In October 2023, about 86% of US public schools had difficulties hiring teachers and other educational staff, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The teacher-shortage has been going on for a long time, but has been a national issue since 2015, when research began indicating a teacher-to-student ratio imbalance. 

Lack of sufficient, qualified teachers and staff causes instability that reduces teachers’ effectiveness and threatens students’ ability to learn.  

In her article, Sarah Mervash, an education reporter for the New York Times, reports that one of the most recent teacher strikes was in Portland, Oregon. The strike started on November 1st, 2023 and ended on November 26, 2023. It was 11 instructional days long, and is one of the longest teacher strikes in recent years. 

Special Education, math, and science are where schools struggle the most to find teachers. High-poverty schools also have a really hard time with finding qualified teachers to hire.

NewsNation reports that California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, and Indiana are just some of the states in the U.S that struggle a lot with teacher-shortages. A few of the school districts in Oregon that struggle are Eugene School District, Springfield Public Schools, and Bethel School District.

The combination of low pay, growing workload, worsening student behavior, and growing politicization of school curricula and teaching have driven some teachers out of the business and discouraged some new teachers from getting in. 

“I believe strongly that students need routine and structure to be able to be safe and learn in a classroom space. Adults are responsible for providing the structure to keep students safe and learning,” Chirinian said after being asked if students and the way they act have a part in why teachers are resigning. 

A lot of school districts have a hard time hiring teachers that have all of their credentials. Most teachers that are being hired are still going to school or are not fully qualified to be a teacher. This makes their job harder but it also makes qualified teachers’ jobs harder as well. 

“An inexperienced teacher needs a lot of support and encouragement. This falls on the teaching staff that works closely with the new teachers,” Chirinian said.

Some would say that the overwhelming responsibilities of new and long-time teachers alike can be a big factor in their plans to stay in the profession. According to a report on top teacher burnout statistics, “In a 2022 poll by the National Education Association, 55% of teachers responded that they plan to quit their current education roles earlier than they originally intended. Just one year earlier in August 2021, only 37% of teachers reported this same feeling.”

People do think that someday the teacher shortage could be resolved. Most teachers who have quit or been on strike want to be paid the amount they think they deserve, and a lot of people agree with that. 

“I think it can be solved by improving teacher salaries and working conditions. Also needed is dialogue with all community stakeholders about how we can support each other.  Hillary Clinton once said that ‘It takes a village.’ Schools cannot work in isolation. We have to work with our entire communities to help improve education and students' experiences,” Chirinian said. 

Multiple factors have led to the teacher shortage throughout the United States and many things could be done to help solve this issue.

Chirinian believes that with a few changes and support from the community the teacher shortage could be lessened. If teachers are paid fairly, treated with respect, and receive adequate training this will lead to improved learning conditions and more stability for students.

Photo Credit: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commentary-fact-over-fiction-education/