Lawmakers, non-profits and school staff coming together for summit on teacher shortage

A group of lawmakers, school staff, nonprofits, and the National Center on Education and Economy are holding a conference today to solve the problem.

The nationwide teacher shortage is impacting teachers and administrators with what seems like no real solution in sight. A group of people calling this a systemic issue are gathering today with one goal of fixing the problem.

“What we’ve seen is teachers and school leaders having to redesign the way school is delivered almost on a regular basis over and over again as the ebb and flow of the pandemic has affected the virtual environment as well as the in-person environment,” said Amy Morton, system design specialist for the National Center on Education and the Economy.

Today’s meeting will start with understanding the scale of the teacher shortage, exploring root causes, finding solutions, and finally a panel with policymakers. Organizers say educators have gone too long without solutions so brainstorming some is the summit's goal.

“Public education is one of the foundations of our country, and the ability to provide and truly meaningful and productive educational environment for all learners is absolutely critical to maintaining a civil society,” Morton said.

The National Center on Education and Economy plans to host several more of these sessions to talk about other issues facing educators today and come up with ideas and policies to help.

School districts from all over Pennsylvania will attend the meeting, including representatives from Lancaster and Harrisburg school districts.