What’s happening: Lawmakers and others in the education arena are growing increasingly concerned about the reduction in the number of teachers and support staff in Pennsylvania’s classrooms.
At a Capitol news conference on Monday, a band of Democratic lawmakers led by Rep. Patty Kim, D-Cumberland/Dauphin counties, and joined by Rep. Jim Rigby, R-Cambria County, highlighted the teacher shortage schools are facing. They proposed a package of bills called Elevating Educators to address it.
What’s the problem: Research shows the number of new teachers certified annually has declined from 20,000 in 2010 to less than 7,000 in 2021. Meanwhile, the number of educators who are teaching with emergency credentials – meaning they are not fully qualified to teach the grades or subjects for which they are hired – has risen by 300% to 5,958 since 2010.
What’s more, nearly one in five teachers work a second job to make ends meet. Ten or 15 years ago, an elementary school teacher opening easily would draw 100 applications now that number is greatly decreased, said Travis Waters, chief recovery officer for Harrisburg School District.
Pennsylvania isn’t alone in its struggle to attract and retain teachers and school paraprofessionals. According to a Chalkbeat analysis of eight states (that did not include Pennsylvania), more teachers than usual exited the classroom after the last school year.
Why it matters: This has resulted in larger class sizes and less individualized student support,...
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