Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

teacher shortage

PSA

Colorado
54 mins ago

Have you thought about teaching? Colorado teachers union sells the profession in new videos

The Colorado Education Association has made a series of ads with the theme, "Change a life. Change the world."

choice and competition

Detroit
May 22, 2018

It’s not just Detroit. Across Michigan, ‘active and aggressive’ competition imperils schools

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission is holding hearings to determine if the state's students with special needs and minority students have faced discrimination.

Round up

Colorado
May 10, 2018

What Colorado lawmakers did for and to schools in 2018

In a world of competing priorities, education came out ahead in the Colorado General Assembly's 2018 session.

Sweetener

Detroit
May 10, 2018

As Detroit’s schools chief celebrates new salaries, veteran teachers may want to give the district a second look

Detroit school officials took to the podium on Thursday to trumpet new pay guidelines they hope will help fill 190 teacher vacancies.

reality check

Colorado
May 10, 2018

Colorado lawmakers’ pension compromise raises teacher retirement age, cuts benefits

The deal that emerged from 12 hours of negotiations Wednesday was not the deal that many people expected to see when the day started.

Casting their lines

Detroit
May 9, 2018

‘Come help these babies.’ Inside the Detroit district’s long-shot effort to end a crippling teacher shortage

Detroit's main district is looking for teachers who are ready, willing and able to teach.

first steps

Colorado
May 4, 2018

Why Colorado’s teacher shortage bills fall short

The legislative effort to address Colorado's teacher shortages will have only a modest impact because it fails to tackle the root causes.

Carrots not sticks

Colorado
May 4, 2018

Here’s how Colorado lawmakers are spending $10 million to reduce the teacher shortage

Colorado is following the path laid out by research. What will matter is how these programs are implemented and sustained over time.

blessing and a curse

Colorado
April 11, 2018

Tales from inside Colorado’s teacher shortage: housing for horses and recruiters without interviews

With some Colorado school districts desperate to fill jobs in science, math and special education, sought-after candidates got the hard sell at a recent job fair.

Race to the Bottom

Colorado
April 5, 2018

Colorado teachers can claim an unwelcome distinction: most underpaid in the nation (or close to it)

Teachers and policy makers have started to make connections between low pay here and labor unrest elsewhere.

Price of entry

Colorado
March 16, 2018

Becoming a Colorado teacher could soon require fewer transcripts, more training on English learners

The package of changes also includes a slimmed-down teacher evaluation rubric, the first major revision to the rules under Colorado’s 2010 teacher effectiveness law.

Bitter Pill

Colorado
March 7, 2018

Teachers union opposes 401(k)-like provision in Colorado pension overhaul bill

Republicans want to create a defined-contribution option within PERA.
Detroit
February 23, 2018

Week in Review: New programs, new plans, new questions

Two of our stories this week highlight new programs that could soon be offered in Detroit’s main district. Among them: a proposal to…

Green Acres

Colorado
January 29, 2018

What a $10,000 fellowship for rural teachers will and won’t do to address teacher shortages

The rural fellowships bill is just one of what lawmakers say will be a package of bills to address Colorado’s difficulties filling some teacher jobs.

exclusive

Tennessee
January 25, 2018

University of Memphis, Shelby County Schools forge new partnership to address teacher shortage

The college announces plans to launch its Urban Education Teacher Prep program by fall of 2019 under new dean Kandi Hill-Clarke.

Classrooms without teachers

National
January 9, 2018

In many large school districts, hundreds of teaching positions were unfilled as school year began

In the country’s largest school districts, thousands of students started the school year without a permanent teacher, according to data from public records.

Recap

Colorado
January 4, 2018

Five takeaways from Chalkbeat’s legislative preview discussion with lawmakers

Colorado legislators gave a preview into the education issues that will be part of the 2018 session including funding, teacher shortage and full-day kindergarten.

year in review

Colorado
December 22, 2017

State leaders took a hard look at the teacher shortage in 2017

The problem of teacher shortages has plagued some Colorado school districts for years, but it reached a tipping point of sorts in 2017.

Struggling Detroit schools

Detroit
December 5, 2017

A Detroit district plan would allow ‘master teachers’ to coach less experienced colleagues and reduce class sizes

The program will enable schools to have model classrooms where less experienced teachers can go to watch master teachers work.

Human Resources

Colorado
November 21, 2017

A minimum salary for Colorado teachers? State officials may ask lawmakers to consider it.

The report, assembled at the request of the legislature, also proposes a marketing campaign and scholarships to attract new teachers to rural areas.

prioritizing dollars

Colorado
November 1, 2017

More money for education, help for charters and marijuana taxes to tackle teacher shortages headline Hick budget

Colorado's governor John Hickenlooper published his proposed 2018 budget on Wednesday asking for an increase to school funding and a reduction in the negative factor.

merited pay

National
October 31, 2017

A simple solution for solving teacher shortages: pay incentives for hard-to-find educators

A new study offers a straightforward solution to teacher shortages: give bonuses or provide loan forgiveness to teachers in positions that are hard to staff.

help wanted

Colorado
September 20, 2017

What a dearth of teachers means for a school in a one-stoplight Colorado town

In rural Otis, school leaders are struggling to find teachers at a time when poverty is on the rise among its students.

help wanted

Colorado
August 23, 2017

Colorado education officials hope these three ideas will reverse the state teacher shortage

The state departments of education and higher education must complete a strategic plan to curb the teacher shortage by December.

help wanted

Colorado
July 28, 2017

It’s hard to find qualified early childhood teachers. Here’s what one Denver provider is doing about it.

Child care centers across Colorado have a hard time finding qualified staff. A new effort by one Denver provider aims to help remedy the problem.

home sweet home

Detroit
July 24, 2017

‘Finally! Something useful’ or a dangerous mistake? Detroiters respond to city’s housing deal for teachers

Some readers had high hopes for the deal, but others questioned who really benefits.

Week In Review

Detroit
June 30, 2017

The week in review: Goodbye, EAA and master teachers. Hello, Alycia Meriweather and Big Sean

Long-struggling schools in a special turnaround district are returning to Detroit’s district — just as new schools chief Nikolai Vitti shakes up the central administration.

town hall tour

Colorado
June 13, 2017

Now is your chance to weigh in on how Colorado should reverse its teacher shortage

State lawmakers earlier this year passed legislation calling for such a plan, which is due to lawmakers by the end of the year.

Week In Review

Detroit
June 9, 2017

Week in review: A morning in a crowded classroom and 13 other things you should know about Detroit education

There was a lot to read about Detroit schools this week including our peek inside a Detroit classroom where 37…

Human Resources

Colorado
March 17, 2017

Colorado’s rural schools need teachers and want lawmakers to help

Lawmakers are considering three bills that supporters believe could help schools — especially those in rural areas like La Veta — combat a teacher shortage that is only expected to get worse.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Colorado
November 16, 2016

To tackle teacher shortage, start with giving teachers the respect they deserve, superintendents say

Colorado school superintendents and business leaders gathered to discuss the burgeoning teacher shortage.

Teacher hiring

Indiana
October 31, 2016

Teacher shortage turnaround? Indiana sees higher demand for licenses than last year

In 2016, 4,552 college grads earned their initial practitioner licenses. That’s an 18 percent increase over 2015.

Come visit!

Colorado
October 13, 2016

Recruiting teachers to rural Colorado: Smaller classrooms and more freedom, but about that salary …

Short-term help is on the way for Colorado's rural school districts suffering from the strain of chronic teacher shortages.

New in town

Indiana
September 7, 2016

Indianapolis Teach for America attracts fewer teachers but they are more diverse

32 percent of incoming Teach For America corp members are people of color.

Hiring bonus

Tennessee
Updated August 30, 2016

Calling all new math teachers: Shelby County Schools wants to give you $5,000

A shortage of high school math teachers in Memphis has Shelby County Schools willing to award a $5,000 signing bonus to those hired after Aug. 15.

Teacher Shortage

Indiana
July 25, 2016

As students look different in Southern Indiana, will teachers change too?

It’s not just unfilled teaching jobs that present a challenge for Indiana schools. Another struggle is hiring teachers who reflect the ethnic and racial makeup…

Teacher talk

Indiana
July 13, 2016

Ritz: Indiana teacher shortage still a problem, needs to be addressed

Ritz’s effort continues a conversation that began last year when some Indiana districts reported problems finding teachers and keeping them in the classroom.

Hire ed

New York
June 14, 2016

Want to be a career and technical ed teacher? The state just eased the process

Responding to a shortage of career and technical education teachers, the state made it easier to become one on Tuesday.
Indiana
February 25, 2016

Aspiring teacher scholarship bill gutted in Senate panel after concerns over costs

The bill's author, House Speaker Brian Bosma, said he wants to bring the program back in later discussions.
Indiana
February 3, 2016

Plan to change teacher pay and pensions passes after emotional debate

House Bill 1004 moves on for consideration in the Senate starting next week.
Indiana
January 28, 2016

Union backers say bill could wreck Indiana's teacher pay system

The bill would let superintendents give more pay to current teachers as well as job applicants.
Indiana
January 21, 2016

Teacher scholarship bill passes committee but could leave current students out

As it's written, the scholarships would not be available to students who graduated high school before June 2016.
Indiana
January 20, 2016

Stacked education bill could see even more additions next week

Committee Chairman Sen. Dennis Kruse said bills concerning religious instruction and teacher hiring could make it in.
Indiana
January 5, 2016

Bills aimed at teacher hiring take a back seat to ISTEP, for now

Several lawmakers are working on bills to offer incentives for college graduates to become teachers and other support.
Indiana
December 21, 2015

The basics of Indiana’s teacher shortage debate: What comes next?

This isn't the first year Indiana schools have had troubled finding qualified teachers to fill open jobs, but it seems to be the first year everyone's paying attention.
Indiana
October 26, 2015

Lawmakers propose fixes for testing and teaching

Lawmakers think they came up with solutions for a few of the biggest education issues from the past year: testing, teacher hiring and keeping teachers in the classroom.
Indiana
October 19, 2015

Teacher to legislators: I'd love to stay in the classroom if I could afford it

It’ll be another week before legislators come together to make recommendations on how schools can increase teacher recruitment and retention efforts.
Indiana
August 28, 2015

Why people think there’s a teacher shortage in Indiana and why they’re probably wrong

In Indiana, as in many other places, the problem isn’t the number of certified teachers but a mismatch between them and available jobs.

behind the headlines

New York
August 18, 2015

Best of 2015: Why is there no teacher shortage in New York City?

As other states scramble, a longstanding teacher surplus and steady student enrollment mean that just one in three teacher-prep graduates is able to land a job in New York.