Class dismissed: Schools battle staffing issues amid teacher shortage
PHILADELPHIA - The so-called ‘great resignation’ has left a lot of industries without proper staffing and the field of education has not been immune to shortages. While the pandemic has played a role, some believe the writing was on the blackboard before COVID-19.
The Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) says they have seen a decline in available teachers over the last decade. PSEA spokesperson Chris Lilienthal claims less college-educated people are pursuing a career in education and older teacher have retired sooner.
"We are having a number of older teachers who may have stuck around a couple more years deciding that they’re going to retire sooner than later because of the pandemic because of the stress that goes with the job right now," Lilienthal said.
A source with the School District of Philadelphia told FOX 29 that mid-year teacher resignations are up 200 percent.
So what's the fix to stop teachers from leaving while also attracting young professionals to the field of education? The PSEA believes teachers need to be paid better, more competitive salaries that are on par with other industries to keep them in the classroom.
"But pay isn’t everything, we also need our educators with supports," Lilienthal said. "What we’ve been hearing over and over again from our members is that they are losing prep periods, they are losing lunch periods, there aren’t enough substitute teachers."
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