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Published: 03/31/2022
Strengthening the Educator Pipeline and Supporting Aspiring Educators
As of February 2022, there were 335,000 fewer public-school educators in our nation than before the pandemic; the shortage of Black and Latino teachers is especially pronounced. In fact, there are shortages across all job categories in education, from transportation to food service.
In a 2022 survey, 55 percent of NEA members said they were considering leaving the profession they love earlier than they’d planned because they feel overwhelmed and under-supported.
These shortages have been an issue for decades and now are at crisis levels in areas such as mathematics, science, special education, and bilingual education. Educators love what they do—they just need more support to pursue their passion for teaching, guiding, and supporting students.
Solutions include increasing pay and benefits; creating grow-your-own programs to recruit and prepare educators to teach and work in their local communities; fully funding teacher residency programs; and providing high-quality professional development for all educators.
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Looking for more ways to take action?
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NEA Urges NO Vote on Parents Bill of Rights Act, H.R. 5
Submitted on 03/23/2023
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NEA Comments for House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on “Tackling Teacher Shortages”
Submitted on 05/25/2022
Bills in Congress
Learn NEA's position on pending legislation related to public education, and take action to protect our schools
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Support
H Res 219 The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents www.congress.gov
Introduced on 03/10/2023
The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents is a blueprint for public education rooted in evidence-based practices that support teaching, learning, and family engagement.
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Support
S 766 Pay Teachers Act www.congress.gov
Introduced on 03/09/2023
A bill that would raise starting teachers’ salaries to at least $60,000 a year. Poor pay and stressful working conditions are making educator shortages even worse.
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Oppose
HR 5 Parents Bill of Rights Act www.congress.gov
Introduced on 03/01/2023
This bill will undermine local control, insert the federal government as a national school board, and facilitate censorship and book bans. The Parents Bill of Rights Act ignores the strong partnerships that already exist between parents and educators, and disregards educators’ experience and expertise.
We're speaking up for our students and public schools. Visit our Action Center to find out what you can do.
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Become an Aspiring Educator
NEA’s Aspiring Educators Program supports, develops, and empowers diverse, pre-service teachers with the resources, networks, and opportunities to lead in their schools, communities, and in all phases of their career.
