Pennsylvania has a crisis in education staffing

The number of teacher certifications given in the state of Pennsylvania in 2022 was at an all-time low; only 4,220 certifications were granted. In 2012, the number of certifications was over 16,000. This decline of more than 70% in 10 years is twice the national average. This lack of staff means that districts will have a difficult time finding quality educators and will need to be more competitive to be able to hire the staff they require. This places districts that are underfunded at an extreme disadvantage.

It is difficult to become a teacher. The programs are rigorous, you must take a lot of extra tests that people in other majors are not subject to, and student teaching which may last one entire semester, or in many colleges is divided over the entire 4 years of the degree program, is unpaid.

While people in other fields are given internships and are paid, student teachers actually must pay the college tuition to do the work of student teaching. College debt is sky high for people going into education and student loans are extremely burdensome and can continue to be for many years after graduation.

This shortage of teachers is being addressed by lowering the standards needed to receive a teaching certificate. Emergency certifications are being given out in great numbers, which is very bad for our students in Pennsylvania. Instructors who are given these emergency certifications have minimum requirements for teaching the classes they are assigned to. Many have minimum or no coursework in the subjects they are assigned to teach. How can we expect our young people to grow and flourish into great scholars if they are not being taught by people who know their subject matter?

Research states that teacher quality is the biggest determinant of student success. There is a clear statistical relationship between the experience and years of teaching of the educator, and the success of his/her students. Teacher turnover in underfunded districts is much higher than in wealthy districts, making the experience and years of teaching statistics much lower in poorer school districts, therefore, student success also much lower.

This problem will not just disappear on its own; it requires thoughtful solutions. This phenomenon has happened over a number of years, and will take a number of years to remedy. Paying students for student teaching and making it akin to an internship, instead of making students pay tuition to student teach, would be a start. The students would save thousands of dollars in tuition as well as make some money for the services they are providing to the schools which they are assigned.

This is a statewide problem and the state finances need to be involved. The governor’s budget could help by raising starting salaries of teachers throughout the state. A good starting salary might be very different for the middle of the state than what a good starting salary would be for the eastern counties such as Chester and Montgomery counties, the two wealthiest counties in the state, having the highest cost of living. Perhaps a percentage throughout the state could be agreed upon to raise teacher salaries across the board, thereby not making all salaries the same, but equal for where educators live and teach.

Pre-K-to-12 school districts are suffering from a severe drought of math and science teachers. Why would you want to be a teacher with a degree in chemistry, physics, or finance, where you make would make such a low salary, when you can go to one of the large drug companies or financial institutions in the area and double or triple your salary from the start? We need to think much more deeply about what and how educators are compensated for the knowledge they bring to our children every day.

Education is the biggest influence and game changer there is upon the direction of a young person’s life. Without a good education which extends beyond a high school degree, there is a slim chance of overall success for a good paying career which leads to better overall health outcomes and satisfaction with one’s lot in life.  Pennsylvania politicians on both sides of the aisle need to come together and work to help students in all districts have the same opportunities for success. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Dr. Khalid Mumin, PA Secretary of Education, need to lead the way. We are watching.

Dr. Myra Forrest is a lifelong educator, former school superintendent and currently education advocate for the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation.