Teacher Shortage

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education believes that lowering a GPA requirement for teachers will improve teacher recruitment and retention without reducing educator quality.

The Fort Zumwalt School District has announced that Henry St. Pierre will be its next superintendent. The announcement comes after its current superintendent, Paul Myer, said he planned to retire at the end of the school year.

St. Louis Public Schools welcomed 21 teachers from Ghana and the Philippines as part of its first cultural exchange program. These educators will fill teaching positions in middle school science, middle school math, and elementary classrooms to help address hard-to-fill vacancies amid a national teacher shortage.

The legislation backed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will boost the minimum salary for teachers, change the formula for funding public schools and expands a tax-credit scholarship for private schools.

A wide-ranging bill in the Missouri legislature includes provisions to address the state's struggle to recruit and retain teachers, but also includes controversial school choice measures.

Illinois school leaders reported the biggest obstacle to pursuing a teaching career was the cost of a college degree, followed by low pay and benefits.

One of the biggest issues facing the local education system is the growing number of teachers needed — especially special education and bilingual teachers, as well as paraprofessionals.

Many wonder what the state of teaching in Illinois after the height of the coronavirus pandemic. A new report by Advance Illinois tackles that question and more.

Teaching shortages — including certain specialities — still exist in select regions across Illinois after the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools’ educator shortage survey from the previous academic year, more than 30% of open teacher, support staff and special education positions went un- or underfilled — the highest percentage in the six years.