Two new reports shed some light on what could happen in the fall due to the impact of COVID-19. The main issue revolves around how many teachers will return next year. At Teachers of Tomorrow, we are concerned that many teachers will not return if they have health issues, a spouse or child with health issues, or are near retirement age.
According to an Enterprise Institute paper by John Bailey, COVID-19 is creating a school personnel crisis:
- Various bodies of medical research inform us that those over age 65 are disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19. Over half a million public and private school teachers are in the most at-risk age range for COVID-19.
- More than 18 percent of all public and private school teachers and 27 percent of all principals are in this vulnerable age range. Private schools face greater challenges, with 25 percent of teachers and 44 percent of principals in this age range.
Reasons for Concern
It is likely that over 500,000 teachers may not return to the classroom this upcoming 2020-2021 school year because of COVID-19. While we ponder these estimations, it’s time to check in and see how teachers themselves feel:
According to a USA TODAY/Ipsos poll, 1 in 5 teachers say they are unlikely to go back to school if their classrooms reopen in the fall. If we apply this estimate to our current total number of teachers, a potential massive wave of resignations could be soon forthcoming. There are over 3.3 million teachers in the U.S., which translates to roughly 660,000 teacher resignations. The normal resignation rate for teachers in America is about 7.5%, and we have difficulty filling those jobs with about 247,500 new teachers each year.
A Look Into the Immediate Future
Our nation may need an additional 400,000 teachers, which is not an insignificant number. The most efficient and productive to invoke positive change – and fast – is to find a solution to quickly fill vacant teaching jobs. Teachers of Tomorrow is proud to afford some of the many millions who lost their job as a result of current economic strife an opportunity to secure a stable job as a teacher. The only way to prepare and deliver more teachers is to assure our program is simple, affordable and time-conscious. Our alternative teacher certification program accessible to all populations, allowing everyone to set themselves up for future success. Teachers of Tomorrow is committed to providing quality training to upcoming teachers in order to fill these critical teaching positions.
While this may be a difficult year as we face the sobering reality of the potential loss of 600,000 teachers, Teachers of Tomorrow remains dedicated and optimistic. We stand by schools across the nation and strive to help solve a critical issue.
Let’s get to work.
