Students rely on teachers for more than just facts and lessons. A steady, caring presence in the classroom helps learners stay on track, build confidence, and dream bigger for the future. Yet in many states, finding enough qualified teachers has become one of the toughest challenges in K-12 education.
Widespread teacher shortages mean that some schools have to rely on long-term substitute teachers or leave teaching positions vacant altogether. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, for the 2024-2025 school year, 64% of public schools reported that there was a lack of qualified candidates, while 62% said there were too few candidates applying. This puts extra pressure on existing teachers, stretches resources thin, and impacts learning in every subject, from bilingual education to math and science.
The issue doesn’t look the same everywhere. Some states face more teacher vacancies than others due to funding gaps, limited educator preparation programs, rural locations, or high turnover in certain subject areas.
Ten states feel this crisis most urgently. Knowing where these gaps exist is the first step toward creating fair, practical solutions that help retain teachers and give every student the chance to succeed.
1. Florida
The state of Florida continues to feel the weight of severe teacher shortages, which push districts to hire underqualified teachers just to keep classrooms covered. Data from the Florida Education Association shows the problem has grown steadily—from about 2,440 open roles in mid-2020 to over 5,000 teacher vacancies by the 2022-23 school year.
Essential subject areas suffer most, such as:
- Math
- Science
- English
- Reading
Low salaries and limited competitive compensation make it tough to retain teachers. This leaves school districts scrambling each year to find enough fully certified professionals for their students.
2. Kansas
In Kansas, persistent teacher shortages threaten student progress and district budgets. Around 10% of Kansas-certified teachers exit the profession annually, fueling a cycle of unfilled teaching positions and staffing gaps.
In the 2022-2023 school year alone, Kansas reported 1,628 vacant teaching positions plus 1,918 roles covered by uncertified teachers. Without strong support and competitive compensation, Kansas risks seeing more teacher vacancies in coming years.
3. Michigan
Michigan is facing a significant teacher shortage that spans every grade and nearly all subjects. The Michigan Education Association reports that approximately 10,000 teachers exit their positions each year, while only around 5,000 new teachers enter.
This imbalance makes classroom environments increasingly unstable and less supportive of important learning, especially in core courses. In the 2021-2022 school year alone, Michigan had 476 open teaching positions and saw 752 roles being filled by individuals who were not fully certified.
4. Mississippi
In Mississippi, teacher shortages not only cause empty classrooms but also affect how well students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. According to the Mississippi Department of Education, 54 districts deal with critical shortages in the following subjects:
- Special education
- STEM
- Elementary teaching
- World languages
In the 2022-23 school year, the state reported 2,593 open teaching positions, slightly down from the previous year’s peak but still leaving many students without access to qualified teachers. This number rose significantly to 5,012 vacancies by the 2023-24 school year. Persistent gaps in certified staff continue to challenge school districts trying to deliver strong, consistent instruction statewide.
5. Nebraska
Nebraska is seeing steady growth in teacher shortages, putting pressure on school districts to maintain quality learning for students. According to Nebraska Public Media, there were approximately 669 unfilled teaching positions in the 2024-2025 school year. While this is an improvement from the 900 open positions in the previous academic year, some positions were filled by someone not fully qualified, and schools in rural areas still struggle.
Vacancies make it harder to close equity gaps and meet every student’s unique needs. Without enough fully certified educators, many schools rely on stopgap measures that can limit how well students master key subject areas. Nebraska’s numbers show why targeted support and better retention strategies are needed more than ever.
6. Ohio
In Ohio, a shrinking pool of candidates from educator preparation programs and rising retirements have created a perfect storm for teacher shortages. The number of teacher vacancies climbs as more educators leave the workforce and fewer teachers enter each year, especially in urban districts where as many as 11% of teachers lack proper certification.
This imbalance leaves more students without access to fully certified, qualified teachers and pressures school districts to rely on underqualified staff. With student enrollment increasing while certified teacher numbers fall, Ohio public schools face a mounting challenge to keep classrooms fully staffed.
7. Oregon
The state of Oregon has seen its teacher shortage areas widen year after year, forcing schools to take temporary measures that rarely solve the core problem in the 2023-24 academic year. According to the Register Guard, some districts have shortened the school week or loosened requirements for certification just to get a teacher in front of students.
However, when districts lack access to fully certified teachers, they’re often forced to rely on emergency measures that may not deliver consistent instruction. Without more qualified, experienced teachers entering the pipeline, many Oregon schools risk continued disruptions that undermine student success.
8. Tennessee
In Tennessee, more teacher vacancies and underqualified hires mean more students face inconsistent instruction. State data in the teacher shortage report shows that during the 2022-23 school year, there were 1,009 unfilled teaching positions and an additional 2,888 roles staffed by underqualified individuals. This shortage hits core subjects the hardest and places extra stress on existing teachers covering multiple teaching assignments.
Leaders are exploring incentives to bring retired educators back into the workforce. However, without better pay and stronger teacher preparation programs, many school districts continue to struggle to retain teachers long-term.
9. Utah
Utah has faced persistent teacher shortages for more than a decade, with the pandemic deepening the strain on school districts already struggling to keep enough qualified teachers in the classroom. Although the state shows one of the lowest vacancy rates nationally—just 34 in the 2024-25 academic year—this is partly because some schools increase class sizes or rely on underqualified staff to cover gaps.
For example, in the 2021-22 school year, Utah reported 3,703 underqualified educators working in place of fully certified professionals. As fewer college students choose teaching as a career path, finding and keeping enough trained educators remains a critical challenge for the state’s growing student population.
10. Washington
In the state of Washington, 2021 reports show that there were 1,810 open teaching positions and 4,880 underqualified educators filling roles meant for fully certified professionals in the 2021-22 school year. Emergency teaching certificates accounted for over half of the new educator workforce in 2020-21.
According to the most recent Washington State educator shortage report, the state of Washington continues to face significant teacher shortages in 2024, especially in subjects such as:
- Special education
- Elementary education
- Career Technical Education (CTE) fields like health science and STEM
- English Language Learners
- Math
- Science
- Reading
Large class sizes—averaging over 60 students per teacher according to NBC—further stress the education system. Funding concerns and testing pressures only add to the challenge of keeping enough teachers who are skilled in every classroom.
Solving Teacher Shortages Together with Proximity Learning
America’s teacher shortage crisis won’t fix itself overnight, but schools don’t have to face it alone. Every student deserves the chance to learn from a qualified teacher, no matter where they live or what subject they study. When teacher vacancies threaten that problem, fast and flexible solutions matter.
For more than 14 years, Proximity Learning has partnered with over 400 school districts across the country, filling more than 3,000 classrooms each year with fully certified, experienced teachers. Our approach blends cutting-edge livestream instruction with real human connection and dynamic, interactive classes so every classroom stays a place for growth.
Our educators are trained to use the best digital tools alongside in-person facilitators, all while following each district’s exact bell schedule and curriculum. We help ensure tens of thousands of students have access to the high-quality, synchronous instruction they deserve, no matter where they live.
We’re ready to help you bridge staffing gaps, expand course offerings, and bring the best instruction to your students. Let’s make teacher shortages a thing of the past. Contact Proximity Learning today to get started.
