A New Solution to Teacher Shortages

We have a teacher shortage in the region, especially in special education and in secondary-education areas such as math and science. That has led some districts, including Philadelphia, to hire people with bachelor’s degrees who are not certified as teachers and enroll them in emergency certification programs. That sounds like a solution, but it isn’t. It’s a no-win situation. We’re asking people to figure out how to teach and how to learn at the same time, usually without any assistance from their schools. As a result, many people don’t finish the certification process, and the teacher shortage remains.

The issue is usually the most challenging in schools with the greatest need. Those schools often lack the resources to prepare these untrained teachers. What if we could offer classroom management seminars? What if we could create teaching partnerships and mentorship programs? These new teachers need a different type of support to be successful than those who have taken a traditional path into the profession. At Holy Family, we’re working on a new approach that brings these novice teachers together to access the resources and network necessary to thrive.