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Addressing the teacher shortage

As Chair of Thiel College’s Department of Education, I am privileged to work with future educators. However, we face a pressing challenge: a critical shortage of teachers. Pennsylvania has seen a 65% annual decline in new educators, with a 66% drop in teaching certificates issued between 2012 and 2023. That fall-off led to 2,000 classroom teacher vacancies as of last October in public schools across Pennsylvania.

Sadly, it’s not just our commonwealth, it’s our country that is facing a devastating teacher shortage. Our department has been collaborating with teachers and school administrators in our region, and across the country, to ensure that we graduate confident students who are ready to enter the field of education and be change agents. Despite the challenges of being an educator, it is important to acknowledge that teachers inspire, enlighten, motivate, and touch lives forever.

Students who graduate from Thiel College’s Department of Education with a dual major in Early Childhood and Special Education or earn their Secondary Education Certificate are among our most successful graduates. Year after year, 100% of our graduates secure education-related jobs within months of graduating—most can measure that time in days or weeks. The success of our graduates is exciting and gratifying, but our nation could certainly use more talented and committed educators.

Eighty-six percent of U.S. K-12 public schools reported challenges in hiring teachers during the 2023-24 school year. In an article published in Education Week in December 2023, a substantial increase in vacant positions was reported. Approximately 55,000 teaching positions were vacant and another 270,000 positions were filled by underqualified teachers that year. We are also seeing this trend locally; at a mock interview session we hosted on campus, local administrators shared that they had posted teaching positions that yielded zero qualified applicants, particularly in the field of special education. This decline in interested, qualified teachers can be traced to the 2018 Phi Delta Kappa Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, which revealed, for the first time, that a majority of Americans—54 percent—indicated that they did not want their children to become teachers.

This trend of teacher shortages across the nation threatens the very foundation of our educational system and our country’s future. Nationwide, schools are struggling to fill vacancies and retain talented educators. The reasons behind this crisis are multifaceted, ranging from inadequate compensation and challenging working conditions to a lack of support and resources for professional development. Amidst these challenges lies an opportunity for transformation and renewal. As a society, we can encourage our youth to pursue a career in education.

Now more than ever, we must recognize the pivotal role educators play in shaping the minds and hearts of tomorrow’s leaders, and we must take decisive action to cultivate a new generation of passionate and qualified teachers. I am sure almost every one of you reading this can name a teacher who had a positive impact on your life; I can name quite a few.

Creating a generation of new teachers begins with reimagining the teaching profession as not merely a job but a vocation—a calling to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. It requires fostering a culture that celebrates and values the contributions of educators, providing them with the recognition and support they deserve. Moreover, it demands a concerted effort to address the systemic barriers that deter individuals from pursuing careers in education, including financial constraints, lack of diversity in the teaching workforce, and limited access to teacher preparation programs.

We are committed to being part of the solution to the teacher shortage crisis. Through innovative coursework, hands-on experiences, and mentorship opportunities, we are preparing future educators who are not only knowledgeable and skilled but also compassionate and resilient.

That is why we are hosting an Education Summit with the goal of providing high school students with an opportunity to interact with leading educators. The day of inspiration, insights, and action for future young minds seeking their calling in education will begin at 9:30 a.m. on February 20.

The summit will feature captivating speakers who can spark students’ enthusiasm for teaching. In addition, we will be hosting interactive workshops for students, professional development for educators, and a panel of prominent educators ready to answer questions. As part of this event, the institution will host Jennifer Toney, Ph.D. a 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year finalist, and Thomas Guskey, Ph.D., an industry expert on educational assessment and classroom effectiveness.

As we look to the future, let us reaffirm our commitment to education as the cornerstone of a thriving society. Let us invest in the next generation of teachers, empowering them to inspire, challenge, and shape the minds of tomorrow. Together, we can cultivate passionate and committed educators who have the power to change the future.

About Kara Schreckenghost

Schreckenghost is Assistant Professor of Education, Chair of the Department of Education and Director of Teacher Education.

She spent 11 years as a special education teacher at Greenville Area School District. At Thiel, she has been Chair of the department for the last three years. She has also taught in the Excel Opportunities Program and in a freshman seminar course for five years.

She is working on her Doctor of Special Education at Slippery Rock University with an anticipated completion of August 2025. She earned her K-12 Principal Certification from California University of PA in 2017. She earned a master’s degree in special education supervision in 2013 and a Bachelor of Science in education in 2008, both from Slippery Rock University. She graduated from Sharpsville Area High School in 2004.

An important Thiel moment to her is being a first-year instructor and being one of the first connections students make with a faculty member on campus. “I cherish the moments we have in classes each day…and the fact that I get to see students through their college career from their first day on campus to their last. All of the students at Thiel make me so proud,” she said.