Workforce Development
By mid-2025 over 410,000 teaching positions in K-12 will either be vacant or not consistently filled, representing about 1 in 8 of all national teaching positions.
The Research
- Thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia published data on teacher vacancies, showing 45,582 unfilled teacher positions. (Learning Policy Institute)
- Teacher pipeline. Interest in teaching among high school and college students is at the lowest level it has been in decades. (Learning Policy Institute)
- Between 2016–17 and 2020–21, 27 states have seen ongoing enrollment declines of 5% or more, seven states had relatively flat enrollment numbers, and 17 states plus the District of Columbia saw increases of 5% or more. (Learning Policy Institute)
- The numbers of shortage positions were deepest in special education, elementary education, language arts, and career and technical education. (Learning Policy Institute)
- Rural districts are particularly impacted by teacher shortages, which can be a result of smaller tax bases that prevent rural districts from offering competitive salaries, greater distance from educator preparation programs, and difficulty in filling vacancies. (Learning Policy Institute)
- Students from lower-income backgrounds and students of color often have the most limited access to highly qualified teachers and are disproportionately impacted by teacher shortages. (Learning Policy Institute)
- National research indicates that roughly one in five paraprofessionals leave the workforce annually, with attrition rates increasing since the pandemic. (National Center on Teacher Quality)
- Federal labor projections show that most paraprofessional openings are driven by replacement needs rather than growth, underscoring the fiscal and operational burden of constant churn. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Public educator diversity does not match public students diversity in regard to race, ethnicity, or gender. (Learning Policy Institute)
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
The Literacy Lab is expanding our impact and innovating to serve more children with increased excellence.
Our Approach
The Literacy Lab uses an innovative approach to provide students with foundational literacy skills and develop community-based educators.
We provide our Fellows with ongoing coaching, wraparound supports, and access to higher education and career pathways. At the same time, we equip educators and community members with evidence-based literacy practices and tools that empower them to become successful literacy advocates.
The Literacy Lab tailors support to emerging educators based on community needs and individual goals. Program participants receive comprehensive training, ongoing coaching and support, and access to a community of fellow community-based educators. Through The Literacy Lab’s programming, educators grow competency in the areas of early literacy development, evidence-based literacy instruction, childhood development, and data-informed decision-making.
Literacy Lab Fellow Training
Fellows gain hands-on experience working with students while learning the best practices in early literacy education.
- Fellows receive approximately 40 hours of Literacy Lab-led training prior to entering classrooms and 90 additional hours of training and ongoing coaching through standardized weekly professional learning groups (PLGs)
- They receive individualized career planning and goal-setting support, as well as exposure to education career pathways, connections to higher education and professional networks, and access to wraparound supports
- Fellows are eligible for a $2,500 higher education award upon completion of service
Paraprofessional and Teacher Support
- We provide literacy instruction training for classroom teachers in partner sites with practical strategies and action plans to implement into their classrooms
- We offer a community of practices for paraprofessionals from partner sites alongside our Fellows, in addition to literacy instruction training and professional learning groups (PLGs)