鈥淲orking conditions in schools are student learning conditions."
That statement鈥攆rom Henry Tran, an education professor at the University of South Carolina鈥攊s deeply understood by most teachers and administrators, and never more so than in the last couple of years. Hardly any school has escaped the staffing hardships that have become so prevalent鈥攕hortages that predated the pandemic, but deepened as exhaustion, illness, and disillusionment about pay and other issues took a toll on morale across the K-12 workforce and other dynamics in the labor market made recruitment and retention so difficult.
It's a daunting challenge that education leaders, policymakers, and the broader public must address鈥攁nd urgently so.
When schools lack adequate staffing, all students lose out. Children with disabilities and English-language learners miss out on specialized services and instruction that are essential to their learning and success. 69传媒 from poor families and rural students who live far from their schools lose convenient, free transportation and crucial learning time in school. And all students in need of extra academic help miss out on instruction when teachers and support personnel are stressed, demoralized, and absent.
In the first installment of this two-part series, Education Week takes a close look at the connections between staffing and student learning, explains some of the barriers to recruiting and retaining a strong workforce, and provides a rare look into the experiences and views of K-12's support personnel who are essential to educating our children.
That statement鈥攆rom Henry Tran, an education professor at the University of South Carolina鈥攊s deeply understood by most teachers and administrators, and never more so than in the last couple of years. Hardly any school has escaped the staffing hardships that have become so prevalent鈥攕hortages that predated the pandemic, but deepened as exhaustion, illness, and disillusionment about pay and other issues took a toll on morale across the K-12 workforce and other dynamics in the labor market made recruitment and retention so difficult.
It's a daunting challenge that education leaders, policymakers, and the broader public must address鈥攁nd urgently so.
When schools lack adequate staffing, all students lose out. Children with disabilities and English-language learners miss out on specialized services and instruction that are essential to their learning and success. 69传媒 from poor families and rural students who live far from their schools lose convenient, free transportation and crucial learning time in school. And all students in need of extra academic help miss out on instruction when teachers and support personnel are stressed, demoralized, and absent.
In the first installment of this two-part series, Education Week takes a close look at the connections between staffing and student learning, explains some of the barriers to recruiting and retaining a strong workforce, and provides a rare look into the experiences and views of K-12's support personnel who are essential to educating our children.
Recruitment & Retention How School Staffing Shortages Are Hurting 69传媒Essential nonteaching school employees are in high demand, and when their positions go unfilled, high-need students suffer most.
Recruitment & Retention How Many Job Openings Are There in Public 69传媒 and Universities?See how many unfilled jobs there are in public schools and universities, and how the number of open positions has grown over the last decade.
Recruitment & Retention From Our Research Center Paraprofessionals: As the 'Backbones' of the Classroom, They Get Low Pay, Little SupportThey are critical to student learning and well-being, but often find better pay and benefits in other fields.
School & District Management Explainer Who Are Paraprofessionals and What Do They Do?Paraprofessionals are a vital part of the classroom team with a wide range of responsibilities and skills.
Recruitment & Retention 'It's Hard to See the Perks': 69传媒 Face Tough Sell in Filling Key JobsBus drivers and other K-12 workers say they are underpaid for the difficult jobs they do to keep schools running.
School & District Management Infographic School Staffing by the NumbersHow many people work in schools, what types of work do they do, and how much do they get paid? Education Week breaks it down for you.
Recruitment & Retention No Bus Drivers, Custodians, or Subs. What's Really Behind 69传媒' Staffing Shortages?Dismal pay, certification requirements, and longstanding disrespect are causing many classified workers to quit.
Recruitment & Retention 'How Bad Could It Get?' State and District Leaders Work to Combat Teacher ShortagesPolicymakers are working to strengthen the teaching pipeline as district leaders report unfilled vacancies.
Recruitment & Retention Video What鈥檚 Behind the School Staffing Shortages 鈥� And What Districts Can Do To Address Them69传媒 are experiencing a staffing shortage across a range of classified and low-wage positions. A look at the causes, and some solutions.This is part 1 of a 2-part series, Staffing Our 69传媒. View the full series.
