But what does the national picture really look like?
For several years now, there has been a surplus of headlines about a teacher shortage in the United States, but a shortage of data about the shape of the issue. Now a new report adds to that body of information.
Part of the problem is framing. “Teacher shortage” suggests that there is some loss of individuals who can do the job, as if an orchard filled with teacher trees has suddenly dried up. The trouble filling teaching positions—and keeping them filled— is arguably better understood as a problem making the positions attractive enough to recruit and retain qualified people in the teaching profession.
You can’t solve a problem starting with the wrong diagnosis. If I can’t buy a Porsche for $1.98, that doesn’t mean there’s an automobile shortage. If I can’t get a fine dining meal for a buck, that doesn’t mean there’s a food shortage. And if appropriately skilled humans don’t want to work for me under the conditions I’ve set, that doesn’t mean there’s a human shortage.
A good diagnosis means breaking down the data for useful detail. “Nuance in the Noise,” a report issued in January by Bellwether Education Partners, offers some details that underline one truism— not all schools in all states are having the same amount of trouble filling all positions.
There are also signs that basement-level morale among teachers is feeding departures from the classroom.
