What are the hardest teaching positions to fill

Okay, so I’m a school administrator and we’re having a HUGE problem filling certain teaching positions. We’re talking year after year, posting and re-posting, attending job fairs and coming up empty-handed. I’m not talking about just any position being hard to fill, I mean the really persistent problem areas.

I’m particularly interested in understanding why these positions are so difficult. Is it salary? Location? Workload? Lack of qualified candidates? What are other schools seeing?

Specifically, I’m curious about:

• Specific Subject Areas: We’re really struggling with math (especially high school levels) and special education, but are there other subjects notoriously difficult across the board? What about areas like CTE (Career and Technical Education)?

• Grade Levels: Is it harder to fill elementary positions in some areas than secondary? Or vice versa? We seem to have a revolving door for our middle school positions.

• Geographic Location: Obviously, rural districts face different challenges than urban or suburban ones. But are there specific states or regions that consistently struggle more than others?

• Schools with Specific Demographics: Are schools with higher populations of low-income students, English Language Learners, or students with behavioral challenges facing bigger hurdles in recruiting teachers? Is there a bias at play?

• What are some potential solutions? Beyond just throwing money at the problem (though that might be part of it), what innovative recruitment and retention strategies are working for other districts? Are there mentorship programs or other support systems that help?

Basically, I want to know what the national trend is, and what specific factors make some teaching positions so hard to fill, and hopefully get some actionable ideas for how to improve the situation in my own district.

Answer

The hardest teaching positions to fill often share characteristics such as geographic location, subject matter, student population, and working conditions. Here’s a breakdown of these factors:

1. Geographic Location:

• Rural Areas: Remote rural districts frequently struggle to attract and retain teachers. This is due to factors like:
  • Limited access to amenities (shopping, entertainment, cultural events).
  • Fewer job opportunities for spouses.
  • Isolation and lack of professional development opportunities.
  • Lower salaries compared to urban or suburban areas.
  • Housing shortages or high housing costs relative to income.
• Inner-City Schools: Schools located in impoverished or high-crime urban areas also face significant staffing challenges because of the following:
  • Higher rates of student poverty, trauma, and behavioral issues.
  • Older and/or poorly maintained facilities.
  • Lack of resources and support for teachers.
  • Safety concerns.
  • Perceptions of lower student achievement and parental involvement.

2. Subject Matter:

• STEM Fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics): There’s a persistent shortage of qualified STEM teachers nationwide. Reasons include:
  • STEM graduates often pursue higher-paying careers in industry.
  • Stringent certification requirements for STEM subjects.
  • Difficulty in attracting and retaining teachers who can make STEM subjects engaging and relevant for students.
• Special Education: Special education teachers are in high demand due to:
  • The complexity of the job, which involves working with students with diverse learning needs and disabilities.
  • Extensive paperwork and compliance requirements.
  • Emotional toll of working with students who may have significant challenges.
  • Increasing numbers of students identified as needing special education services.
• World Languages (Less Commonly Taught): Finding qualified teachers in languages like Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, or less common European languages (e.g., Finnish, Polish) can be difficult because:
  • Fewer individuals are certified to teach these languages.
  • Demand for these languages may be localized or sporadic.

3. Student Population:

• High-Poverty Schools: Schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families often face greater teacher turnover and difficulty in attracting experienced teachers.
  • Students in these schools may have greater academic and social-emotional needs.
  • Teachers may feel unprepared to address the challenges associated with poverty, such as food insecurity, lack of access to healthcare, and unstable housing.
• High-Needs Students: Schools with a large population of students with disabilities, English language learners (ELLs), or those with behavioral challenges often struggle to find teachers who are qualified and willing to work with these students.
  • These students may require specialized instruction, accommodations, and support.
  • Teachers may need additional training and resources to effectively meet the needs of these students.

4. Working Conditions:

• High-Turnover Schools: Schools with a history of high teacher turnover often struggle to attract new teachers. Potential candidates may be wary of joining a school with a reputation for being a difficult or unstable work environment.
• Schools with Poor Leadership: A lack of strong, supportive leadership can make it difficult to attract and retain teachers. Teachers want to work in schools where they feel valued, respected, and supported by their administrators.
• Schools with Limited Resources: Schools with inadequate funding, outdated facilities, and a lack of resources can be less appealing to potential teachers.
• Schools with High Student-Teacher Ratios: Large class sizes and high student-teacher ratios can increase teacher workload and stress, making it difficult to attract and retain teachers.

5. Other Factors:

• Lack of Support and Mentoring: New teachers, in particular, may be hesitant to take positions in schools that do not offer adequate support and mentoring.
• Salary and Benefits: Lower salaries and less comprehensive benefits packages can make it difficult for schools to compete with other districts or professions.
• Perceptions of the Profession: The declining perception of the teaching profession, influenced by factors like workload, stress, and lack of respect, can deter potential candidates.

It’s important to note that these factors often intersect. For example, a rural school may also serve a high-poverty student population and have limited resources, creating a "perfect storm" of challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.