Teacher shortages are a perennial problem. Despite decades of robust discussion and research, the problem of teacher shortages has become more pronounced—and better publicized—since the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the complexity of shortages, both recruitment and retention must be addressed.
Rather than supporting teachers and expanding opportunities for other talented individuals to enter the profession, existing policies in many states make it more difficult for schools to recruit, retain and develop a diverse pool of talented and content-rich teachers. This may be due to a lack of financial incentives, inflexible teacher certification policies, outdated teacher preparation programs and/or ineffective professional development opportunities.
This template is designed to help your state create its own EPP Report Card, as outlined in the State Educator Preparation Provider Accountability Act. The sample data provided below illustrates what the report card could look like and should be customized to reflect your state’s context. States may choose to present the report card as a written report or an interactive online dashboard.
The State Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Accountability Act creates state EPP Report Cards with aligned accountability. Like a Consumer Reports review, EPP Report Cards hold EPPs accountable for their practices and effectiveness. This type of public transparency is critical for ensuring teachers receive the training and tools they need to have a positive impact on student outcomes.
The purpose of this legislation is to establish a clear, actionable and public system for evaluating educator preparation providers within the state. The intent is to ensure accountability, promote continuous improvement and provide the public with transparent information on the performance of educator preparation providers to ensure they are successfully putting students on paths to success.
Strategic Compensation policies provide additional wages, bonuses and/or other monetary benefits to educators who demonstrate high performance based on student outcomes, classroom observations and evaluations; take on additional roles or responsibilities; or teach in high-need subjects or schools. Strategic Staffing policies provide high-performing teachers with higher salaries for taking on greater responsibilities, such as leading teams or mentoring less experienced teachers, to advance their careers without leaving the classroom.
The Paid Parental and Family Leave Act is an optional program that school districts can join by submitting a request to the state Department of Education. Employees in participating districts seeking paid leave can submit a request to the state Department of Education. Upon approval, they will receive a certain number of weeks of paid parental leave or a certain number of weeks of paid family leave, receiving a certain percentage of their average weekly wage.
More than half of states allow or require RIF to occur based on the length of time an educator has worked in a district or if they have tenure status. This practice is often called “last in, first out,” or LIFO. Basically, those who were hired most recently are the first to be laid off when RIF is necessary. A performance-based RIF helps ensure districts retain the most effective and diverse teachers.
An adjunct teacher is a professional who holds a bachelor’s degree and has demonstrated subject-matter expertise in a course offered by a school. Adjunct teachers are awarded temporary certificates that allow them to provide instruction without going through the lengthy process of receiving a traditional certification.
A chartered teacher is a certified teacher who the state approves to contract directly with families or groups of families rather than a district or school.
License reciprocity is when teachers who are qualified to teach in one state are automatically granted a license to teach in another state with no additional courses or exams required.
A teacher apprenticeship program is created and funded by a state to strengthen its teacher pipeline through partnerships between school districts and education preparation providers.
This model policy directs state education agencies to create a dashboard containing both longitudinal educator pipeline data and an educator job posting database.
ATI acknowledges and rewards experienced, high-performing teachers by granting them a special designation on their teaching license. These teachers can take on additional responsibilities, such as coaching and mentoring new teachers, and earn higher pay for doing so. States can offer additional financial incentives to encourage these advanced teachers to work in high need districts.
ExcelinEd’s Advanced Teaching Incentive Program (ATI) model policy establishes a system of tiered licensure designations that incentivizes effective teachers to stay in the classroom while assuming leadership roles, working in priority districts and advancing their salaries. This provides emerging teachers with more mentorship and exposes more students to highly effective educators.
The Paid Parental and Family Leave Act aims to support school employees during significant life events, including the birth or adoption of a child, as well as family health emergencies.
This Act ensures that students receive the highest quality education and that the most effective educators are retained by prioritizing locally determined educator performance metrics over seniority or tenure to make decisions regarding educators’ ongoing employment when workforce reductions are required.
This Act establishes a statewide Educator Supply and Demand Data Dashboard (“the Dashboard”) that provides the state, school districts, educator preparation providers, and other stakeholders clear and timely access to data related to educator shortages and retention that can inform policy, programmatic, and hiring decisions.
The purpose of the Chartered Teacher Act is to provide teachers an alternative to working in traditional schools and districts but retain them in the profession of teaching.
Reciprocal teacher licensure allows teachers who are qualified to teach in one state to teach in another state without facing unnecessary barriers to entry, such as re-taking courses or exams. Reciprocity allows teachers to easily move from one state to another and to teach virtually, across state lines. Strong reciprocal licensure policies can strengthen teaching pipelines and retain qualified teachers in the profession.
The purpose of the Adjunct Teacher Act is to support districts in addressing teacher shortages and diversifying course offerings by allowing them to hire uncertified but otherwise qualified subject-matter experts. Adjunct teachers are professionals who hold bachelor’s degrees and have expertise in any subject area offered in a district.
The Advanced Teaching Incentive (ATI) program creates advanced licensure designations for experienced teachers who demonstrate subject-area competence and a positive impact on student outcomes.
The state sponsored Teacher Apprenticeship Act will provide a new pathway to enter the teaching profession. Through partnerships with approved educator preparation programs, school districts will have new tools to recruit prospective teachers as early as high school and provide them with on the-job training and mentorship as they complete a bachelor’s degree and/or a state-approved teacher licensure program.