Education groups address efforts to combat teacher shortage, what still needs to be done

Education organizations are working together to help address shortages of teachers and support staff affecting the public school system across Pennsylvania.

Rich Askey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and Mary Theuerkauf, president of the Erie Education Association, outlined what's being done to combat the shortage of educators and support professionals in the Erie School District and throughout the state during a news conference Tuesday.

Askey described this shortage, which affects bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians, as the "biggest crisis we have seen facing us in the world of public education."

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"Between the 2010-2011 and 2021-2022 school years, the number of Instructional I certificates issued to new teachers in Pennsylvania declined by 73%, while the number of emergency permits rose by more than 200%," Askey said. "Reversing that trend is going to take a sustained, multi-year commitment. The Pennsylvania State Education Association is working with the Erie Education Association to put solutions into place that will achieve that goal."

How is the problem being addressed in Erie School District?

Theuerkauf said combating the educators and education professional shortage starts with creating a safe and supportive environment within the district's schools.

"No teacher should ever have to fear for their safety at their school and the EEA has had a critical voice in demanding safety measures in our buildings," she said. "There is work to be done, but implementing safety screenings at entrances, ensuring security in buildings and classrooms and calling for reevaluation of our student intervention process is making a positive difference."

EEA also brought in 20 mental health specialists and is working on adding more behavior specialists throughout the district.

"Improving the education experience for all requires providing psychological supports for students so that they are ready to learn," Theuerkauf said.

In November, EEA and the Erie School Board raised the starting salary for an Erie School District teacher with a bachelor's degree to $46,827. That moves the starting base teacher salary in the Erie School District to the fifth-highest among the county's 13 school districts.

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They also approved a 5.48% pay increase for existing teachers and other professionals within the district.

"We want current and future teachers to know that teaching in Erie is rewarding and the Erie Education Association is working to make sure teachers are safe, supported and valued," Theuerkauf said.

Call for statewide salary increases

Askey and Theuerkauf each stressed there is still work to be done to combat the shortages statewide. Askey said PSEA is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to adopt a series of measures.

"We are urging lawmakers to pass a state-funded plan that sets minimum salaries at $60,000 a year for all education professionals, including educators, school counselors and nurses," Askey said. "We are also calling for a $20 an hour minimum wage for education support professionals."

Askey cited Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi and New Mexico as states that have already increased their educators' pay, and Arizona and Idaho as states that are proposing to raise minimum wages for support professionals.

Investing in an educators' education

In addition to increasing wages, Askey said Pennsylvania needs to work toward removing barriers that prevent young people from pursuing careers in education.

"PSEA is talking to policymakers about investing in a new program to pay students in college Teacher Prep programs," Askey said. "Paying them a modest stipend will remove a heavy financial burden from a key component to earning their degrees."

Askey also hopes to implement Grow Your Own programs statewide. Grow Your Own is a partnership between school districts and educator preparation providers that selects candidates from local communities to earn their degree and educator license in order to teach.

"Creating new pathways to the profession will open the door to great teachers who might otherwise never make their way to the classroom," Askey said.

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Askey mentioned that PSEA is serving as the state coordinator for a new national network called Educators Rising, which Askey said is developing high-quality, classroom-ready curriculum to engage high school students who are interested in becoming educators.

"I know schools are doing their best to attract (professionals), but the problem is when you don’t have the pool to draw people from, then you’re not going to get the success you want," Askey said. "So that’s why we focus so much on improving the pipeline."

Baylee DeMuth can be reached at 814-450-3425 or bdemuth@timesnews.com

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This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: How teacher shortage in Erie, state is being addressed