During a month when we celebrate the hard work of teachers, we are reminded of the remarkable role they play in helping students succeed. Student outcomes are driven by the impact of their classroom teachers, who are counted on for high-quality instruction, genuine relationships, and daily guidance.
But Tennessee is struggling to fill all of these critical positions with licensed teachers. Examining the educator labor market is important to understanding the state’s staffing trends so that we can provide support to ensure teachers can be effective in each classroom.
Like other states, Tennessee school districts face challenges such as increased staff vacancies and unreliable access to educators who can make a difference in students' lives. The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) uses several sources to better understand conditions of the state’s educator labor market. In reviewing two such sources — annual Tennessee educator data and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) Educator Survey — key discussion points emerged to support improving the state’s educator labor market.
Here are five findings that point to specific areas where Tennessee can continue to improve the teacher pipeline.
1. There are not enough qualified teachers to fill open teaching positions throughout the state.
The Tennessee Educator Survey found that less than one-third of school leaders report having a sufficient applicant pool for open teaching positions, and 52% worry they will not retain teachers once they are hired. More than half of polled administrators are also concerned with the effectiveness of classroom instruction. Staffing issues create long-term challenges for school districts and can also negatively impact day-to-day operations in schools, which disrupts school climate and teacher workloads.
2. Emergency credentials issued have more than doubled in the last three years and vacancies continue to increase.
As vacant — or unfilled — teaching positions have increased across the state, districts have utilized emergency teaching permits and endorsement exemptions to staff classroom needs. As a result, districts face additional staffing challenges in supporting educators teaching outside their area of expertise or educators who have not obtained their teaching license and lack experience. Educator experience and licensure datasets reveal the impact of these challenges is felt more in high poverty and urban school districts. Increased vacancies and emergency credentials could be a signal for local leaders to enhance opportunities for individuals with established and aligned careers who wish to enter the classroom.
3. Staffing challenges vary by geography and subject area.
Rural districts saw the most significant increase in vacancies in the 2023-24 school year, while vacancies continue to remain high in urban districts. Staffing challenges are also specific to subject areas and grade-level bands. Middle school classrooms, early childhood programs, and world languages have the highest rates of teachers teaching with temporary permits. Middle school grades, special education, and English as a second language (ESL) positions have the highest total vacancies. Staffing critical subject areas with effective teachers matters when we’re working to raise student achievement and close gaps between student groups.
4. More teachers are entering the teaching pipeline later in their career journey.
Data from the Tennessee Educator Survey show an increase in the share of new educators who decided to become teachers after college or after working in another field. From 2023 to 2024, the number of teachers who joined the teacher pipeline later in life increased by 5 percentage points. This indicates a need for accessible and nontraditional pathways for teacher talent to enter the classroom.
5. The Tennessee teacher pipeline does not reflect the student population.
TDOE’s educator demographic dataset revealed the proportion of Black and Hispanic students in Tennessee to be triple that of Tennessee teachers. Research suggests that students of color see positive academic and nonacademic benefits to having same-race teachers. Given this evidence, diversifying the teacher pipeline is one way to move toward students having increasing access to educators who contribute to their success.
Understanding the data behind Tennessee’s educator labor market challenges is the first step in taking action to improve education in Tennessee. Continued development and support of the educator labor market ensures that Tennessee students are receiving the best education possible through reliable and equitable access to effective educators. For more information on improving the teacher pipeline to better support Tennessee students, check out SCORE’s report, Tennessee’s Teacher Pipeline: Initiatives to Increase Student Access to Effective Teachers.