Severe teacher shortage in Arizona continues

For the fifth consecutive year, Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association‘s survey of district and charter schools throughout Arizona in December confirms the continued teacher shortage. 

The data indicates about 24% of teacher vacancies across the state this year remain unfilled, and more than half the vacancies are filled by teachers who do not meet the state’s certification requirements.  These results reinforce the need to increase funding for public education.

Arizona teacher pay remains one of the lowest in the country, even with the recent education budget increase.

Arizona children deserve the best teachers in the nation. School district and charter schools compete nationally for the limited pool of candidates. The inability to offer competitive salaries severely limits public schools from attracting the best and the brightest.

The severity of the teacher shortage must be addressed. Arizona’s leaders must make a collective effort to ensure the recruitment and retention of effective teachers through increased funding. Highly educated and skilled work force are cornerstones to a growing and thriving economy.

The survey focused on teacher vacancies and teachers who have already severed employment as of December 2019, and 209 school districts and charter schools throughout Arizona participated.