Harrisburg,Pa. – Pennsylvania is grappling with a critically important teacher shortage, โคleaving school districts with unfilled vacancies, larger class sizes, and limitedโ access to education for students. PA Needs Teachers, a statewide coalition, is urging lawmakers to take immediate actionโ to address the crisis.
the โcoalition points to a lack of practical experience amongโ new โขteachers as a key factor in โฃlong-term retention challenges,alongside concerns โขabout working conditions โand compensation. Emily Sagor, a representative from PA Needs Teachers, stated that Dauphin โCounty alone faces a shortfall of over 500 teachers.
“And so, what PA Needs Teachers is calling for is that we’re urging lawmakersโค to act now by funding stipends for โstudent teachers and expanding apprenticeship programs. So, โgetting more folks into the pipelineโข and to fill those positions,” Sagor said.
PA โNeeds Teachers advocates for full funding โofโข the student teacher stipend program, requesting $50 million to $55 million, which would include a $5,000โ bonus for student teachers. The group is โencouraging parents to contact their legislators to support โincreased funding for the program.
Legislatorsโ have begun โฃto address the โshortage, but the coalition believes further investment is crucial to effectivelyโ recruit and retain qualified educators.