Steps to improve teacher recruitment, retention

by Margaret Rick and Jan Hochadel

November 14, 2022 @ 12:01 am

The nation’s teacher and school staff shortage has dominated news headlines since “back to school” season began in earnest this fall. It’s not hyperbole to say that America’s students face a learning crisis; nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a loss of 600,000 educators since January, 2020.

While the root causes behind the teacher shortage have been well documented, solutions for filling vacancies remain a work in progress. Our local union representing certified educators in New Haven Public Schools, for example, reached an agreement to compensate members for taking on additional classes as a short-term measure.

The additional resources are welcomed, but that is a stop-gap approach in a single district among many facing a growing need. Districts are calling back retired teachers with the promise that their pensions will not be affected. In at least one state, the National Guard has been called to serve.

To prevent a worsening student learning crisis in the long term, we must overcome the financial disincentives barring entry to public education as a profession. Unfortunately, too many have a lot to lose by working as a teacher in Connecticut.

First, they face the “teacher pay penalty” — salaries well below private sector occupations with similar educational requirements. Then they run up against established federal legislation that imperils their retirement security.

Read the rest of the piece here.