Paola Gilliam

Reimagining the teacher role: How some large and urban districts are enhancing appeal, addressing shortages

From CRPE, April 18, 2023, by Lisa Chu, Bree Dusseault, and Lydia Rainey

The exact cause of teacher shortages is still up for debate. Some experts argue that shortages are localized, while others say that the lack of teachers is due to low unemployment and other factors. Regardless, school systems face big challenges with their teacher workforce, including finding enough teacher candidates and retaining the teachers they have, as well as filling specialized positions. These big challenges require school systems to make big changes to the role of the teacher. This brief identifies eight categories of strategies that school systems are using to reimagine their teacher workforce, then assesses the extent to which large and urban districts have adopted these strategies. Read the report…