Indicators 2026: Teacher shortage is not the same in every classroom

WILKES-BARRE — Discussions of local teacher shortages can make the issue seem simple — schools need more teachers.

The Details

A closer look at the data, however, reveals a more complicated picture.

Some positions and subject areas are more difficult to fill than others, and those shortages can leave schools struggling to provide students with the specialized instruction and services they need.

Across Pennsylvania, Jill Avery-Stoss, president and CEO of The Institute, said the greatest teacher shortages are found in areas including special education, English as a second language, science, mathematics, and vocational subjects. She said this is particularly important because staffing shortages do not affect all schools equally.

Avery-Stoss said urban, low-income, and high-minority schools are disproportionately affected and rely more heavily on uncertified teachers. These disparities are evident here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

During the 2024-25 school year, Avery-Stoss said school districts in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties reported vacancies in school social work, industrial production and maintenance, elementary music, speech correction, school psychology, English as a second language, and special education. Many remained unstaffed.

“Special education provides an example of why teacher shortages cannot be understood from employment numbers alone,” Avery-Stoss said. “Regional employment among special education teachers has grown. The number working at the kindergarten and elementary levels increased from 256 in 2016 to 327 in 2026, while employment at the secondary level rose from 226 to 294. However, having more educators working in a specialty does not necessarily mean every position can be filled.”

The broader data also shows that different education occupations are moving in opposite directions. Avery-Stoss said some categories have grown, while others are projected to decline or remain relatively flat. That makes the teacher shortage less a question of simply producing more teachers and more a question of whether the available workforce matches the subjects, specialties, and locations where schools have openings.

“Pennsylvania schools have also turned increasingly to emergency teaching permits when fully certified educators are unavailable,” notes Avery-Stoss. “These permits can help schools address immediate staffing needs, but they also raise concerns about preparedness, instructional quality, and long-term teacher retention.”

Avery-Stoss said addressing these shortages will require more than increasing the overall number of people entering education.

“Recruitment and training efforts can be targeted toward the subjects and specialties where shortages are most persistent, including special education, ESL, STEM, and school psychology,” Avery-Stoss said. “Financial incentives, alternative certification pathways, and stronger partnerships among schools, higher education institutions, and policymakers are also possible strategies worth exploring.”

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