Teacher shortage: Mississippi lacks 3,000 certified teachers
The Mississippi Department of Education says there are 3,036 certified teacher vacancies across the state — a staggering figure that shows the extent of the state’s long-standing teacher shortage.
Mississippi Today has reported several times since 2019 that state officials had never tracked data regarding the state’s critical teacher shortage. The release of the new data last week by MDE marks the first time the generational problem has been comprehensively tracked by state officials.
The vacancies were reported by every school district across the state, and state officials said the 3,036 figure includes both positions that remain completely vacant and positions currently held by teachers who are not certified. There are currently about 32,000 total teachers across the state.
“This is perhaps one of the most comprehensive pictures we have ever had of teacher shortages,” Courtney Van Cleve, MDE director of educator talent acquisition and effectiveness, said when presenting the data to the State Board of Education on Dec. 16.
Read more: https://mississippitoday.org/2021/12/20/mississippi-teacher-shortage-3000-teacher-vacancies/
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