News of the national teacher shortage, which worsened during COVID, is widely known, but the extent of the problem in New Jersey and the efforts being made to address it have received less media attention.
Liz Scott, who is Director of Human Resources and Communication, at Burlington Township High School and has worked there for 36 years, has seen the crisis intensifying year over year.
Scott says, “In the past, prior to COVID, I would post an elementary school position and receive 100-200 applicants. Now, when posting a similar job opening, we receive no more than five applicants. In some cases, we receive zero applications over many months of posting job openings.”
Dr. Kristen Turner, Drew University, Chair of the Education Department says, “It is a challenge right now to recruit people into this profession and to retain them.” Dr. Turner continues, “The shortage now is compounding.”
She cites the “Cliff of 2025” as a culprit. Educators have described the “Cliff” as a two-fold problem combining the recent end of emergency funding from the federal government that was a response to COVID, with an impending dip in student enrollment as high schools feel the effect of the birthrate reduction that followed the recession of 2008.
The anxiety is echoed by Dr. Scott Rocco, the Superintendent of the Hamilton, NJ school district, who says “This is a state and national issue. Superintendents talk about this issue every day in our monthly meetings and professional organizations. We have discussed this issue with elected officials and the Department of Education.”
Educators and administrators in New Jersey are engaging a variety of tools and strategies to help reduce the impact on the state’s students.
One controversial approach is the use of virtual instruction.
Dr. Rocco says, “For our middle and high school students, we can no longer guarantee [there will be a teacher in every room]. Certain subjects such as math, sciences, and world languages, we are using online services to provide instruction until a teacher is hired.”
While schools traditionally relied on substitute teachers, Liz Scott from Burlington says, “The teacher shortage expands into substitute teachers as well, oftentimes requiring schools to hire online/virtual teachers who teach to an entire classroom of students.”
Another approach focuses on accelerating teacher training.
Dr. Dennis Copeland, Director of Human Resources, Hamilton Township School District, says there is something that is already working which is allowing people to work as educators while achieving the certification(s).
He says, “We are seeing more and more candidates choosing the alternate route, which is a positive.”
Providing financial incentives is another strategy.
Thomas Parmalee, Manager of Communications and Publications at NJ School Boards Association (NJSBA), says, “West Windsor Plainsboro school district now offers an incentive program with sign-on bonuses for the hard-to-fill positions. Select candidates are under contract to receive payouts over a period of time, once hired. NJSBA has also seen salary increases throughout the state.”
Teachers’ colleges are working on a similar effort according to Dr. Turner, from Drew, who says, “Colleges are considering moving more towards an apprenticeship model, paying a student while they are in training rather than expecting free labor, which is their current standard practice.”
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is providing current student teachers with a $4,500 stipend funneled through the universities, paid by the state government.
Dr. Eileen Heddy, TCNJ Director of Support for Teacher Education Programs and Global Student Teaching says, “We hope this will entice students to choose a career in education. However, it is not clear if the state will continue to fund this program in the future.”
She also notes that statistics show retaining educators is as much of an issue as recruiting them to the field. She says, “That is because of the way teachers are being viewed and treated. We need to shift the narrative back to the importance of teaching as a noble and rewarding profession.”
Indeed, when Mercer County, NJ students were asked about the prospect of a career in teaching, many say they are not enthusiastic.
Hamilton West student Mia Bartholomew says, “Education was never a choice for me as I witness how students act in school and treat their teachers…Truthfully, I do not want to be put in that position.”
Nevertheless, the most straightforward approach may still be the one that educators have relied on for centuries: inspiring learners by example.
This has been a successful strategy for Addison Bozarth a 15-year-old student from Hamilton West who says she is heading for a career in education.
One of the first teachers who stood out to Bozarth was Mrs. Krista Zimmerman, a third-grade teacher, at Robinson Elementary School who not only helped her but, she says, “[She helped] my brother who needed extra time when learning new topics. Her tutoring helped [him] and inspired me.”
More recently, she says, Mr. Andrew Patterson, her ninth-grade Honors and Language Arts Teacher has fostered her interest.
“He helped guide me to the realization that I want to educate,” Bozarth says.
This article was produced as part of MCCC’s Community Reporting “J Lab” certificate program made possible by grant funding from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and The New School: Journalism + Design. For more information about the J Lab contact Program Director Prof. Holly Johnson at johnsonh@mccc.edu.
