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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 24, 2023 04:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Napoleon J. Nelson and Rep. Jason Ortitay |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Educator Vacancy Data Collection |
Pennsylvania is facing a dire and worsening teacher shortage crisis. While we see it and hear it, we don’t have the comprehensive, district-level data to assess it. In the near future, we plan on introducing legislation to improve collection, reporting and visualization of data on the educator workforce. As the supply of teachers has plummeted by three-fourths over the past decade, data available suggests that educator shortages and vacancies are likely at record-high levels, with low-income, urban, and rural schools impacted the most, and particularly acute shortages in certain subject areas and among teachers of color. However, there are many gaps in Pennsylvania’s current data collection efforts that make the decisions surrounding the deployment of future resources particularly challenging. For example, the state does not currently collect data on teacher vacancies, and much of the data that is collected is not presented in a format that is accessible to the general public and policymakers. With improved data collection and visualization systems, we can better understand and address root causes of teacher shortages, identify and address pain points, identify and learn from bright spots, target resources where they’re most needed, and incentivize behaviors that will support recruitment and retention. Our proposal would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to begin collecting educator vacancy data from Pennsylvania schools, create publicly accessible Educator Workforce dashboards using existing educator workforce data, and produce an annual report on the Pennsylvania educator workforce. Please join us in sponsoring this legislation to improve recruitment and retention of a well-prepared educator workforce in Pennsylvania. |
Introduced as HB1310