U.S. teacher shortages are nationwide and worsening, with over 300,000 positions unfilled or filled by uncertified teachers in 2023¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? All 50 states reported teacher shortages in more than one area for the 2022–23 school year, and a 2023 analysis found more than 300,000 vacancies unfilled or filled by uncertified teachers, nearly triple the level of 5 years earlier. → Darling-Hammond 2023

Evidence¶

Darling-Hammond 2023¶

Darling-Hammond, L., DiNapoli, M., Jr., & Kini, T. (2023). The federal role in ending teacher shortages. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/649.892

q2 · i? · review · r1

Analysis of state education agency data reported in the introduction. The report states this shortfall is 'nearly triple the level found just 5 years earlier in a similar analysis of state-level data, suggesting a worsening of shortages over that period of time.'

"A 2023 Learning Policy Institute analysis of the most recent data from state education agencies found that more than 300,000 vacancies were unfilled or filled by uncertified teachers."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Every surveyed district filled some vacancies with underprepared teachers, and substandard credentials nearly tripled from 2012–13 to 2019–20 — related
• More than 8,500 uncertified FTE teachers were in K–5 English language arts and math positions in 2024–25, and roughly 23,000 uncertified FTE were in foundational subjects that must be certified by 2027–28 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Budget cuts reduced North Carolina's teaching force by 5 percent from 2009 to 2018 even as enrollment grew, with rural districts losing more than 20 percent of teachers in a single year and 1,621 unfilled vacancies in 2017-18 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Most surveyed California districts faced increased teacher vacancies over pre-COVID-19 years and greater difficulty filling them — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Newly hired Texas teachers with standard or intern certificates declined sharply over the past decade while uncertified new hires became the largest category — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teacher shortages fall disproportionately on high-poverty and high-minority schools, which had four times as many uncertified teachers in 2013–14 — related
• Residencies prepare teachers for high-need subjects and schools, with most NCTR-network graduates hired in shortage fields and Title I schools — related
• TK staffing shortages improved: TK assistant teacher vacancies fell from 12% to 3%, and 91% of LEAs reported enough lead teachers meeting 2025–26 requirements — related
• 77% of school principals and district leaders reported challenges hiring enough substitute teachers during the pandemic, more than for any other staffing position — related
• Michigan's teacher vacancy data are severely underreported, with nearly 90% of districts reporting zero vacancies in 2021-22 — related
• Fresno’s Skillful Leader Project improved teacher retention and hiring — related
• The share of uncertified teachers among new Texas entrants rose from 16% in 2018–19 to 49% in 2023–24 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teacher shortages disproportionately impact students in priority and highest-need California schools, which have fewer fully credentialed and more inexperienced teachers — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Shortage districts fill vacancies with substandard-credential teachers (55%), substitutes (24%), and out-of-field assignments (22%), with high-poverty districts using substandard credentials most — a narrower finding that bears on this claim