Out of the Box Solutions for Hiring During a Teacher Shortage

By Allison Persad, EdD, Principal of The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria
Published in National Association of Secondary School Principals on August 17, 2023

The largest migration at my school, The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria, occurred last year, as it did in so many schools across the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 45% of schools in the United States started understaffed last October, and that figure is likely to be similar this October.

We are just trying to educate our children. Why can’t it be easier? It’s time for districts, states, and our national system to rethink the pipeline so that we can attract people to this profession.

This fall I plan to hire a former student as a substitute teacher, while she pursues her career and technical education license; eventually she will become a digital media teacher at our school. This approach takes time and patience and requires playing more of the long game in terms of staffing. Besides encouraging current students to become teachers, look to your staff and see beyond their current roles to encourage their growth. Is there a cafeteria worker or clerical support person who could use a nudge to apply to a teacher preparation program?