Which teachers are most in demand? A look at shortages, job openings and pay by subject and state (September 2022) - Degreechoices.com (2023)

FAQs

What subjects have the most teacher shortages? ›

However, they reported the most shortages in specialty middle and high-school subjects, such as science and technical education. The state is taking some steps to get more new teachers in the classroom, including the funding of 600 PRAXIS test preparation courses.

Which teaching subject is most in demand? While specific needs vary by institution, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are subjects that are always in high demand.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education is a great example of an area where there is a high demand for great teachers.

According California's reported statewide academic disciplines or subject matter areas most in need are: English/Drama/Humanities, History/Social Science, Math/Computer Education, Science, and Special Education.

According to the Department of Education, there is high demand for Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, indigenous languages, and foundation phase teachers.

Mississippi saw the highest teacher-to-student vacancy rate in the 2021-22 school year.

Is a teacher shortage coming? ›

In fact, approximately one-third of the teaching workforce in California is nearing retirement. With this in mind, the Center for the Future of Teaching and learning estimates that the state will need an additional 100,000 teachers over the coming decade.

Other factors impacting teacher retention include heavy workload, low pay and escalating living costs, with some 80% of survey respondents saying it was difficult to find affordable housing close to where they teach. Many also cited a lack of support from district administrators.

What state needs teachers the most? ›

According to data from the U.S. Department of Education for the 2022-2023 school year, Rhode Island has the largest teacher shortages in the following subjects: English as a second language, career and technical education, math, science, special education, health and physical fitness, world languages and language arts.

Some examples of jobs that are highly in demand include teachers, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, radiologists, financial analysts and public relations officers.

Standardized Testing May Cause Grades 3 and Up to Be the Hardest Elementary Grades to Teach. Many educators argue that the hardest elementary grade to teach is one with standardized testing pressures.

With listening skills usually requiring a considerably long period of time to acquire, normally involving the student experiencing a variety of emotions ranging from depression and frustration through to exhilaration and pride, teaching listening skills is one of the most difficult tasks that a teacher faces.

Law. Law is officially the hardest subject to get a first class degree in⁴, so we all know it's hard going. If you think you know what it's like to have a lot of reading, go and talk to a Law student.

Teacher shortages are impacting school districts across Connecticut. “The rewards are great when the job is done, but it's been a long road, and it's just going to get harder,” said Georgann Stokes, a Cromwell teacher. There's a call for help from those educating our children.

Districts with significant shortages:

Stockton Unified (Stanislaus County) 13 vacancies, 141 hires. Santa Ana Unified (Orange County) 52 vacancies, 75 hires. Long Beach Unified (Los Angeles County) 45 vacancies, 277 hires. Oakland Unified (Alameda County) 34 vacancies, 474 hires.

What state has the best retirement for teachers? ›

'I just found myself struggling to keep up': Number of teachers quitting hits new high. The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators.

Increase Funding for Teachers and Schools

Both state and federal governments need to invest in incentives to attract the best and brightest to the teaching profession. Federal or state grants might draw more prospective teachers to preparation programs in academic areas where there is a scarcity of teachers.

Instead, the research points to two key drivers of the shortage: Low teacher pay relative to other occupations that employ college graduates. Recent EPI research found that teachers made on average 23.5% less per week of work than their nonteacher college-educated counterparts in 2021.

In 2021, the average K-12 public school teacher nationwide was paid $65,090. Average teacher pay was the highest in New York at $87,738, followed by Massachusetts and California. In three states — Mississippi, Florida, and South Dakota — teachers made less than $50,000 on average.

Story at a glance

New York is the best place in America to be a teacher, according to a new report published Monday. The report from the personal finance website WalletHub compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C., along 24 metrics around opportunity, competition and academic and work environment.

The priority now must be to keep teachers in the classroom, and that means addressing working conditions. Workload is consistently cited as one of the main reasons for teachers leaving early, but despite promises to address it there has been little progress on the issue.

Why do teachers not want to teach anymore? ›

A whopping 44% of teachers leave the field after five years or fewer. Most teachers cite a lack of support for both students and themselves, low pay, and poor working conditions that can affect their mental and physical health, as their reasons for exiting this career.

What is the best age for a teacher to retire? Using 30 to 35 years of service is a good rule of thumb for comparing pensions from various states. This means that someone who enters teaching before age 25 with a bachelor's and accumulates 30 or more years of service can usually retire sometime between age 55 and 60.

Special education continues to have it worst, with 7% of positions unfilled. English-language-learning programs are also especially understaffed (6%), as is computer science (5%). Areas with the fewest vacancies: social studies and English/language arts, at just 2% each. Is there a teacher shortage?

Teacher shortages in certain subject areas (like special education or high school math) and certain locales (like rural areas) have been perennial issues for years.

Throughout the pandemic, many districts have faced significant challenges in attracting and retaining teachers, and preexisting teacher shortages in critical areas such as special education; bilingual education; science, technology, engineering, and math; career and technical education; and early childhood education ...

The massive shortages we are seeing are the result of many factors. Years of deprofessionalizing the field through inadequate pay; unstable long-term retirement benefits; stressed, overtaxed expectations on educators and schools; and unsafe, under-resourced work environments weakened the profession.

According to U.S. Department of Education data from the 2022-2023 school year, Maine is experiencing the most teacher vacancies in special education, math, science, language arts, early childhood, elementary core subjects, art and music, and career and technical education.

The state with the lowest average teacher salary in the US is Mississippi, at around $48,000 a year.

California is projected to need more than 33,000 new mathematics and science teachers in the next 10 years. The demand for credentialed teachers in these fields is significantly greater than the supply of fully qualified candidates.

What are the top 3 reasons for shortages in education? ›

Shortages have been driven by a shrinking teacher education pipeline, high rates of turnover, and increased demand as districts replaced positions cut during the Great Recession and expanded staffing using federal COVID-19 relief funding to address increased vacancies and to support learning needs.

After two years of weathering pandemic disruptions, safety concerns and tense public scrutiny, burned-out teachers have quit the profession in droves. At least 300,000 public-school teachers and other staff left the field between February 2020 and May 2022, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Other factors impacting teacher retention include heavy workload, low pay and escalating living costs, with some 80% of survey respondents saying it was difficult to find affordable housing close to where they teach. Many also cited a lack of support from district administrators.