Pennsylvania is producing 60% fewer new teachers than it did a decade ago. So what needs to be done to address this shortage?

Having dedicated my career to teaching and educating teachers, I have a simple answer to this question: Pennsylvania needs to make the lives of teachers better.

But achieving that goal requires confronting difficult realities and understanding challenges from multiple perspectives so that we can support those entrusted with educating the next generation.

Teaching in today's environment is difficult. Teaching well is even more difficult. Teaching well without proper support is often unsustainable, causing passionate educators to leave the profession or discouraging future teachers from entering it.

Solutions are not identical from one district to the next. What improves the lives of teachers in Philadelphia may not be the same as what is needed in Butler, Pittsburgh or rural communities throughout the commonwealth.

In fact, the teacher shortage in Western Pennsylvania is not uniform across all disciplines. Certain certification areas, such as special education, science, mathematics and foreign languages remain difficult to fill, but many districts can still attract qualified candidates for permanent positions.

The local challenge often emerges when vacancies occur unexpectedly during the school year. Increasingly, districts struggle to find certified long-term substitutes. Those who hold teaching certificates are often already employed, while other graduates are leaving Pennsylvania for states experiencing more severe shortages and offering more attractive opportunities.

Pennsylvania's teacher pipeline has undeniably shrunk. According to Pennsylvania Department of Education data, the number of initial teaching certificates issued declined from a peak of more than 16,000 in 2013 to fewer than 6,000 in 2024, with only a slight increase in 2025. Policymakers, school leaders and educator preparation programs have responded by exploring new pathways into the profession.

The traditional route remains the most common: earning a four-year teaching degree immediately after high school.

At the same time, Pennsylvania has expanded alternative pathways, including apprenticeship programs, experience-based certification routes and pathways designed for individuals holding emergency permits or degrees in other fields.

Colleges and universities must adapt to changing demographics, rising costs and workforce needs by prioritizing collaboration over competition. By working together with K–12 schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, they can create multiple high-quality pathways into teaching while supporting aspiring educators — a collaborative effort already underway and worth expanding.

Scholarships, loan forgiveness, student teacher support programs and innovation grants can further strengthen the educator pipeline.

Recruitment efforts alone will not solve the problem if we do not address the reasons teachers leave.

Some solutions require financial investment. Competitive salaries, meaningful professional development, adequate instructional materials, updated curriculum resources, reasonable class sizes and sufficient support staff all depend on funding.

Other solutions rely on supportive administrators, informed school boards and engaged — but not interfering — parents who empower teachers with the autonomy to meet the needs of their students.

All of these are part of the solution but here are two specific actions that Pennsylvania should take to address the teacher shortage:

• First, the Commonwealth needs to further invest in high-quality early childhood education.

Research consistently demonstrates that every dollar invested in early childhood education yields multiple dollars in long-term savings through reduced remediation costs, improved educational outcomes and decreased reliance on other public services.

Students who enter kindergarten better prepared to learn ultimately create conditions that support both teachers and schools.

• Second, Pennsylvania should revise its current system of state-mandated testing.

While schools should be accountable for student learning, and assessments provide important information, the most effective assessments are embedded within the learning process and serve as tools for instruction rather than interruptions to it. Too often, state-mandated testing has become something that competes with teaching rather than supports it. Reducing that burden would improve both teaching and learning.

Ultimately, Pennsylvania does not have a teacher recruitment problem alone. It has a teacher retention problem as well. We can create new pathways, expand certification options and develop innovative programs, but none of those efforts will be enough if teaching remains a profession that talented people are unwilling to enter or unable to sustain over time.

Investing in teachers, strengthening the educational pipeline from early childhood through certification and reducing unnecessary barriers to effective instruction are all part of the solution. If we truly want to address teacher shortages, we must focus not only on bringing people into classrooms but also on creating conditions that make them want to stay.

When teachers are supported, respected and equipped to succeed, everyone benefits: students benefit, schools benefit and Pennsylvania benefits.

Dr. James Preston is a lifelong resident of Butler County who began his career as a secondary mathematics teacher in the Karns City Area School District. He is currently the interim dean of the College of Education at Slippery Rock University.