Adequate staffing of teachers is critical to the success of the education sector in any country. In the United States, various study reports indicate a looming shortage of teaching staff in schools and colleges. Some studies show that about 75 percent of school districts across the nation report teacher shortage, being the highest number from the start of the annual survey in 2015. To address the looming teacher shortage, some schools and colleges have launched tutoring and writing centers to ensure that students in need of assistance are not affected by this issue.
Statistics on Teacher Shortage
While teacher shortage is a looming national crisis, various reports have focused on different states. Data shows that Illinois reported over 6,000 vacancies for teachers and support staff in 2020, with close to 25 percent of surveyed teachers reporting plans to go for early retirement. One could argue that the Covid-19 pandemic has raised safety concerns, especially for senior teachers seeking early retirement. The report on Illinois indicated that about 70 percent of surveyed teachers said heavy workload and burnout were two issues of great concern in their work.
Reasons for the Looming Teacher Shortage
Several factors are responsible for the looming shortage of teachers in schools and colleges. Some experts note that poor working environment, low relative pay, loss of prestige of the teaching profession, and uneven or absent career growth opportunities are reasons to why many teachers are leaving the profession. Indeed, these reasons may explain why college students are not enthusiastic about joining the teaching profession.
Solutions to the Looming Teacher Shortage
Experts in the education sector have identified some of the strategies that schools and colleges can implement to mitigate against the adverse effects of teacher shortage. One of these strategies is educating their teachers. In other words, schools and colleges can identify students in secondary schools, community colleges, and universities and give them tutoring opportunities. Likewise, current schools and colleges can identify professionals in the community and request them to become tutors to the student body during their free time.
The Emergence of Writing Centers
One of the approaches that schools and colleges have taken to grow their own teachers is setting up online writing centers that provide students with access to peer students and professionals working as tutors on different disciplines. Moreover, many companies offer writing services for those who struggle with writing. An example of legit writing service is Wr1ter.com. These online writing centers provide students with access to student-centered writing services from professionals.
In summary, the looming shortage of teachers is a national crisis that will significantly affect the quality of education in the United States in the coming future. Different study reports have shown that many teachers seek early retirement for several reasons. Some of these reasons include poor working conditions, uneven opportunities for professional development, and loss of prestige of the teaching profession. Indeed, the increasing popularity of tutoring and writing centers is based on the growing need for tutors occasioned by the teacher shortage crisis.
