In the wake of the pandemic, teacher shortages continue to present challenges for school districts as they work to find qualified and prepared teachers to fill K–12 classrooms.

While the challenges are national in scope, some nuances must be addressed at the local level to meet district needs. States are uniquely suited to tackle this at the systems level because states are funders, policy developers, and capacity builders for districts and schools.

This brief helps support the efforts of state education agencies (SEAs) to address teacher shortages by sharing information about

  • a state’s role in addressing localized teacher shortage issues,
  • common challenges contributing to teacher shortages, and
  • examples of how states across the country are tackling these challenges.

With this brief, SEAs can address these complexities and nuances by reviewing the analysis of common factors contributing to teacher shortages, exploring diverse approaches for alleviating these challenges, and gaining fresh perspectives on their unique recruitment and retention obstacles.