Throughout the years there has been a concerning drop in teachers, worsening each year. Although teacher shortages throughout the nation have been going on for the past decade, after quarantine the issue has become more critical. 

With low pay, poor benefits, more stress caused by the pandemic, and a loss of interest in teaching in general, more and more teachers have started to resign. 

In response, many districts have started to either offer higher salaries or less work time to attract more teachers; however it hasn’t been very effective. For many, it isn’t the interest in money, but just the loss of passion for teaching, which has been a very lasting effect of the pandemic. 

With the pay not being sufficient, many teachers have started taking on second jobs to support themselves and their families. Advocates agree that there is no reason for a teacher, who works a full-time job, to feel the need to take on a second job. 

For this reason, many educators have come to the realization that they could be working a different job, with the same qualifications, with the same hours, or even less, and receive a higher salary. 

With the loss of educators, students–especially in elementary and middle school–are being hit pretty hard. Classes have become bigger, leading to bigger responsibility for the teachers. 

Not only that, but school districts have become more lenient with hiring. Many school boards aren’t even looking at references of potential teachers, leaving students with teachers who may be unqualified for their position. With more stress on the teachers and not enough ability to be able to individually help struggling students, students’ academic achievements have dropped.

Cory Nelson, AP U.S. history teacher shared, “If there is a teacher shortage, and schools need teachers, they could hire without checking their references or if they’re good.”