By Jennifer Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Education & Child Development at NORC at the University of Chicago
Teachers are the heartbeat of education — sparking curiosity, inspiring minds, and shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom, as they not only help build the future of individual students but also contribute to the progress and well-being of society as a whole.
Recognizing the profound influence teachers have on both individuals and society, global organizations like UNESCO are prioritizing the development and support of educators to ensure their impact is both sustainable and far-reaching. This involves addressing the global teacher shortage, improving opportunities for professional learning to keep teachers up to date with current teaching methods, and ensuring teachers are equipped to meet the diverse needs of all learners. These efforts are key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to provide inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education for every child.
As UNESCO focuses on recruiting and retaining teachers worldwide, research institutions such as NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) provide critical data and analysis to ensure these efforts are effective and impactful. NORC is a nonprofit research institution dedicated to advancing education through rigorous data collection and evaluation. By providing much-needed data and research on the field, NORC plays a key role in understanding how to alleviate teacher shortages. By focusing on what works in teacher recruitment and retention, NORC’s research aligns with global priorities, improving educational outcomes for all.
In addressing the global teacher shortage, it is crucial to recognize the multifaceted challenges educators face, from rising workloads to inadequate pay. As highlighted by UNESCO and supported by research from NORC, innovative, localized solutions can demonstrate promising strategies for recruitment and retention. By prioritizing teacher support and improving working conditions, we can not only empower educators but also ensure quality education for every child, ultimately advancing global educational goals.
Teacher shortages worldwide
The global teacher shortage affects millions of children around the world. In many low-income and rural areas, the lack of qualified teachers limits access to quality education and contributes to perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. To address this, UNESCO advocates for increased investment in teacher recruitment and retention, with a particular focus on ensuring that schools in the most vulnerable communities have access to well-trained educators.
According to UNESCO’s May 2024 Global Education Monitoring Report, a lack of teachers in classrooms often stems from a teacher shortage or a lack of available teaching positions. In wealthier countries, such as the United States, teacher shortages are more prevalent, driven by economic pressures, comparatively low salaries, and the declining prestige of the teaching profession.
The global teacher shortage is evident in the US. In the 2023-24 school year, 86% of public schools had trouble hiring teachers. The most frequently cited teaching positions with vacancies were general elementary (cited by 71 percent of public schools) and special education (70 percent) (NCES 2023). Key factors driving this shortage include rising workloads, inadequate pay, and challenging working conditions that have worsened since the onset of COVID-19. In addition, a NORC AmeriSpeak® national survey has discovered a shift in opinions of teaching as a profession. Fewer than one in five Americans (18 percent) would encourage a young person to become a teacher, citing low pay, lack of sufficient school resources, and a stressful work environment.
Learning from local solutions
NORC is investing in several projects that contribute to understanding factors that improve teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in underserved areas in the U.S. For example, rural Wisconsin faces a severe teacher shortage, but rather than waiting for policymakers to develop large-scale solutions to this longstanding problem, rural districts are developing, implementing, and adapting a set of “home-grown” strategies. This “Grow Your Own” approach is widespread and diverse both in Wisconsin and across the country, which has permitted localized variations to take shape that can address the specific teacher shortages within smaller regions or states.
NORC’s study in Wisconsin found that rural districts are increasingly participating in a program called Educators Rising, which encourages local students to pursue teaching careers and return to teaching in their rural communities. In another example, a group of rural districts formed a collaborative (the GROW Consortium) to collectively address their teacher shortages by providing progressive scholarships to high school students who pursue teaching as a career, with a significant payment to those students who take a teaching position (upon college graduation) in one of the Consortium schools for at least three years. These innovative strategies and initiatives show considerable promise in terms of cost-effectiveness, potential for impact, and sustainability/scalability.
In early childhood education, recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers has been linked to increasing retention. A study by NORC showed that raising teacher wages significantly reduced turnover, with an 80% drop for lead teachers and 79% drop for assistant teachers. Additionally, while higher pay improved teachers’ financial well-being and lowered depression rates, these changes did not affect teacher well-being, suggesting that salary increases should be coupled with improvements in working conditions. By focusing on comprehensive strategies that not only adjust wages but also improve working conditions, teacher retention and well-being can be addressed more thoroughly.
The path forward
NORC’s U.S.-based research offers valuable insights that can inform global efforts to improve teacher quality and professional development. For example, NORC’s study of “Grow Your Own” programs in rural Wisconsin, which encourage local students to pursue teaching careers and return to their communities, provides a scalable strategy that could be adapted to address teacher shortages in rural or underserved areas globally. Additionally, NORC’s evaluation of salary increases in early childhood education within the U.S. highlights how financial incentives can significantly reduce teacher turnover and improve well-being — an approach that UNESCO could test in low-income regions worldwide. By focusing on data-driven strategies that enhance recruitment, retention, and working conditions, additional research can align with UNESCO’s goals of elevating teacher quality and ensuring sustainable, impactful education systems globally.
To address the global teacher shortage, collaboration between research organizations like NORC and international bodies such as UNESCO is vital. Linking research and practice can provide the data and evidence needed to create effective, scalable solutions that empower educators and enhance learning outcomes worldwide. By working together, we can ensure that every teacher has the support, training, and resources to succeed — benefiting students everywhere.