Nationwide teacher shortage hits poor, rural areas hardest; here's an extreme example

McDowell County (Wikipedia)

The nation is facing a growing teacher shortage, and schools in poor, rural areas are being hit hardest. One extreme example is McDowell County, West Virginia, where teachers quit often and substitute teachers may have no specialized knowledge of the subject they're being asked to teach. "Close to one in five teaching positions were filled by substitute or uncertified teachers in the 2016-17 school year, a high percentage for any school district," Emily Hanford reports for American Public Media. The schools had such a hard time finding foreign-language teachers that students now simply take such classes online. Science, special education and math positions are also difficult to fill.

The teacher shortage is likely to get worse, since fewer teachers are entering the profession. "A report by the Learning Policy Institute found that enrollment in teacher preparation programs fell 35 percent between 2009 and 2014, a decrease of close to 240,000 potential teachers," Hanford notes.

Rural places like McDowell County are often the first to feel the shortage. Coal mining jobs have largely dried up, the citizens are caught up in the opioid epidemic that's sweeping the country, and it's hard to entice teachers to move there. "Only 17 percent of students in McDowell County score proficient on state math tests, compared to 30 percent statewide. Only 8 percent are considered 'college ready' in English, math, social studies and science based on their ACT scores," Hanford reports. The teacher shortage isn't the entire cause of those figures, but it's hard to argue it's unrelated.

One problem is that there are few potential employers for a teacher's spouse, making it less attractive for a family to move there. Another problem is that most teachers like to teach where they grew up, but students Hanford interviewed say they will probably have to leave McDowell County when they grow up. Some already are. The population is declining as families move elsewhere, so the school system has been obliged to lay off teachers it can ill-afford to lose, partly because of West Virginia's last-hired, first-fired rules. School districts can pay teachers out of local funds, but that's not an option for poor counties like McDowell.

Teachers Village is a housing development for teachers. (Photo by Emily Hanford)

The Learning Policy Institute recently recommended some ways to improve the teacher shortage, including increasing salaries and providing housing. McDowell officials want to increase teacher pay, but need permission from the state legislature to do it. Legislators passed a law in 2017 that allows counties to attract educators for "critical need and shortage" positions with a one-time financial incentive. The problem for McDowell is that that incentive has to be paid for with local funds, which it doesn't have. County officials are working on the housing problem with a housing development especially for teachers.