Nearly 95% of Indiana school superintendents who responded to a recent survey say they are contending with a shortage of qualified candidates for teacher openings.

Mirroring past survey results, the greatest shortage areas continue to be special education, science, math, English, foreign language and elementary education.

Districts continue to respond to the shortage through emergency permits, use of teachers outside their licensed areas and full-time substitutes.

The survey was done by Equitable Education Solutions, a private consulting firm.

Terry McDaniel, Indiana State University professor emeritus of education, used to conduct the study but in 2022 turned it over to the consulting group, with whom he does some work. The survey was administered in September.

“It is obvious we are not really solving the problem of the teacher shortage,” McDaniel said. “We are not attracting new teachers to teaching.”

He added, “It is so much more than throwing money at them to enter teaching, even though they are grossly underpaid. Many four-year bachelor degree grads make nearly twice as much as the $40,000 beginning salary,” McDaniel said.

“Teachers need to feel appreciated, wanted, and a part of the community. Happy teachers [who have job satisfaction] are the ones who stay. Teaching should once again be an honored profession.”

With the 2023 session of the General Assembly about to begin, the Indiana State Teachers Association says its top priority is addressing the teacher shortage crisis; increasing public school funding and improving teacher compensation is central to that effort, it says.

The teacher shortage survey was sent to all 291 traditional public school superintendents in Indiana, which resulted in 176 responses, or 60.5%.

Results show:

• Close to 95% of superintendent respondents indicate a shortage of qualified candidates for certified positions. While slightly less than the 96.5% reported last year, “It is overall very similar to the experienced shortages reported starting in 2015” with the first administration of the survey.

• Eighty percent indicated shortages in special education; 60% had shortages in science and 58% reported shortages in math.

Shortages in math and science are especially problematic, given the governor’s emphasis on STEM fields as part of workforce development initiatives, said Michael Langevin, founder and CEO of Equitable Education Solutions. Meeting those workforce needs “is really hard to do when you don’t have certified science and math teachers to fill your positions.”

• In other findings, almost 91% of surveyed superintendents used emergency permits, and of those who did, nearly 33% of the school leaders said they needed at least six teachers emergency permitted staff to fill open vacancies.

“Given the significant number of respondents from rural settings [65%] with corporation enrollments below 2,500 [62.5%], requiring six or more emergency permitted staff is impactful,” the survey report states.

• Just over half of respondents, 55.1%, indicated the use of teachers outside their licensed areas to address the shortage. Of those using teachers outside their fields, nearly 22% had five or more teachers outside of their licensed areas.

Of those using teachers outside their licensed areas, nearly 22% had five or more teachers outside of their licensed areas.

• In another finding, 37.5% of respondents indicated they were using full-time substitutes for teaching positions, and of those, 22.6% used four or more full-time substitutes.

A final question examines the reasoning Indiana teachers left their existing teaching position, and superintendents could mark multiple reasons. Among the reasons: 87.5% said teachers left the teaching profession for another career; 76.2% left due to retirement; 67.3% were recruited by another district; 57% could not handle the stress of teaching; 54.8% moved; 54.2% had burnout; 43.5% left because their salary was not competitive with other school districts. Other reasons were listed as well.

The report suggested while it is “tragic” to have a shortage because people don’t enter the profession, it is “altogether catastrophic that teachers who are already doing the work, appropriately certified, are choosing to leave the profession. This demonstrates that the Indiana teacher shortage problem will not be solved with better recruiting efforts alone; strategies to retain existing teachers are equally important.”

The report includes measures taken by the Legislature and Indiana Department of Education to address the shortage. It also offers four “focus points” to assist districts with teacher recruitment and retention, which are as follows:

• Show teachers what you are all about.

That would include evaluating a district’s online presence. “In this digital age, the first impression candidates will most likely have of your school is your online messaging,” it states. “The district needs to promote a clear, public message about what you value and prioritize.”

The district’s strategic plan for ongoing improvement is an additional tool in communicating its long-term vision and increasing its appeal to potential new hires. “Employees want to be a part of an organization that is progressive and innovative.”

• Open new pipelines.

The report suggests seeking professionals in the community who might be interested in a Transition to Teaching license. Schools might consider current instructional aides or substitutes as candidates for continuing or alternative education. It also suggests implementing an educator pathway for high school students and leveraging relationships with higher education institutions.

• Create incentives to teach in your district.

“With the teacher shortage crisis at hand, offering competitive financial incentives is essential to attracting and retaining qualified teachers,” it says. Providing opportunities to advance as a professional is also important.

• Create the environment they don’t want to leave.

That would include good working conditions, administrative support, professional development, mentoring and positive, encouraging feedback.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue

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