Download the educator shortage in Washington State report (PDF)
Educator shortage is a critical issue; it impacts almost every aspect of the education system in Washington. Spanning specific content areas, geographic regions, and disproportionate racial, ethnic, and linguistic demographics between educators and their students, the educator shortage is a complex issue that cannot be summed up or explained by a simple set of data points or research excerpts.
Educator shortages can broadly relate to access to preparation programs and certification, as well as a person’s interest and motivation in pursuing teaching. This report examines data on indicators of the educator shortage and highlights current approaches to addressing it.
Interactive data displays
To support education stakeholders in understanding and making use of data, we have produced online interactive data displays regarding shortage related topics. These displays are organized by district and include data on demographic hiring, in-district teacher persistence, use of limited certificates, and percentage of students enrolled in courses with teachers out-of-endorsement. Interact with these tools here.
Previous shortage related reports
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) has produced a series of reports and information relating to the educator shortage:
- An exploration of educational staff associates (ESA) shortages (2012)
- Commissioned report on best practices to improve recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations (2014)
- “Addressing the Recurring Problem of Teacher Shortages” report (2015)
- In addition, PESB produces an annual federal report on educator shortage areas.
