One of the many benefits of my job is that it affords me the opportunity to meet with thousands of educators every year. Two concerns that I hear at nearly every campus across the country are teacher shortages and teacher retention, and the folks at the Economic Policy Institute echo these concerns. According to their recent report, our nation’s teacher shortage is “real, large and growing, and worse than we thought.”
But if I know anything about teachers, it’s that you’re a smart bunch, and you don’t need a report to tell you what you already know. You feel these constraints every day. The veterans among you are left to pick up the slack, facing a vicious cycle of burnout that places further strain on an already tense situation.
I’ll level with you: there are no easy answers. But at Edmentum, we do have some suggestions, built from the lessons we’ve learned from our work with more than 8,000 school districts and 1 million educators nationwide. I’ve listed a few of my favorite resources below. I hope this “greatest hits” toolkit can offer both practical help in addressing educator shortages and some useful strategies for holding on to your teachers.
Explore Edmentum’s virtual course catalog, searchable by grade level, subject and state.
Blog: What Administrators Need to Know About Teacher Shortages
A growing number of districts and states around the country are currently facing teacher shortages. Take a closer look at the factors that lie at the root of the problem, and learn concrete steps that can help administrators manage immediate staffing issues and lay groundwork for the future.
Blog: 2,000 Educators Share How Administrators Can Best Retain & Support Them
We wanted to see exactly what teachers had to say about what administrators could do better to retain and support them. So we asked them! Dive into the data from our anonymous poll and read what our community of educators had to say!
Blog: 7 Ways Administrators Can Address Staff Retention and Recruiting
One of the biggest factors contributing to the teacher shortage involves experienced teachers switching districts or leaving the profession altogether. As a result, administrators face high turnover and/or a steady stream of open positions. We outline steps that school and district administrators can take to increase teacher retention, lessen turnover impact on students and prepare for successful recruiting.
Workbook: Virtual Learning: Easily Fill Teacher Gaps & Expand Opportunities for Students
Virtual schools may not be the first thing that comes to mind as a solution to teacher shortages. However, finding an existing virtual school partner—or even starting a virtual learning academy—can be a practical, convenient and cost-effective route to take when addressing staffing challenges. Our Virtual Learning Workbook is filled with interactive planning sheets and outlines what teachers and administrators need to consider when evaluating if a virtual implementation is the right option for their school or district.
On-Demand Webinar: Reclaiming $500,000 in Funding While Supporting Student Success
Shikellamy School District was losing students to other online school programs, resulting in a significant loss of funding dollars—which in turn impacted the district’s recruiting and retention efforts. To keep students enrolled, district administrators knew they needed to provide more course options and greater flexibility, but they had limited staff, time, and budget to do so. After having success using Edmentum Courseware as part of their credit recovery initiatives, the district reached out to Edmentum about partnering with EdOptions Academy to start its own virtual program. Within its first year, the Shikellamy Virtual Academy brought more than 75 students back into the district, with a savings upwards of $500,000. Hear from Shikellamy’s virtual academy coordinator about how he successfully designed his program to meet the needs of learners and staff.
Success Story: How One School Overcame Teacher Shortages
Goodrich Middle and High School, which serves a rural east Texas community of fewer than 500 residents, had difficulty recruiting teachers due to its size and location. Administrators decided to partner with Edmentum’s fully accredited EdOptions Academy to allow students to take some of their courses online with a state-certified teacher. See how Goodrich achieved a 100% graduation rate while no longer having to worry about filling teacher vacancies.
Infographic: Every Student Has A Path with Edmentum Digital Curriculum
Partnerships with virtual schools are more than just convenient and cost-effective solutions to staffing challenges; they also create opportunities for a diverse range of learners. Edmentum Courseware and EdOptions Academy can help your district or school provide digital curriculum and teachers to support all your students, including those looking for expanded course options, more flexible learning environments, or career exploration resources. We share examples of three students and how we can support their individual learning needs and goals.
Need help solving your teacher shortages?
Edmentum works with over 8,000 districts helping to solve their most difficult challenges, including teacher shortages. Edmentum courseware and EdOptions Academy may be just the solution you need to expand course choice and fill difficult teaching roles.
