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The teacher shortage has reached crisis proportions. In the 2024-25 academic year,  reported having one or more teaching vacancies;  reported a lack of qualified candidates for open teaching positions; and  or 12.7% were unfilled or filled by people not fully trained. 

This is equivalent to one out of every 10 doctor positions going unfilled or going to someone who hasn’t yet completed medical school. We do not stand for that in healthcare, and it should be equally unacceptable for education. 

Every child deserves a qualified teacher, making teacher recruitment essential.

Despite this, the federal government is moving in the opposite direction. The pandemic-era funding to support school districts has expired, and the current administration has canceled $600 million in educator preparation grants and proposed eliminating $2.2 billion in grants that support educator recruitment, retention, and professional development.

This is troubling. Although numerous policies and reforms have been attempted to improve student outcomes, from increased spending per pupil to a longer school day, ample research confirms that to student learning outcomes than any other aspect of schooling.

Ample research has proven that boosting student learning depends on . That includes those who are not only trained and certified, but are innovative, enthusiastic and continually adhere to recommended best practices.

Furthermore, recruiting more teachers is one of the most cost-effective strategies, by far, for improving learning, according to a . For every tax dollar spent on school improvement, teacher recruitment has a higher return on investment in terms of student learning gains than almost anything else. 

Given this finding, anyone who cares about good government, efficient spending and smart policymaking should be advocating for and investing in teacher recruitment initiatives.

Effective teacher recruitment is also good for the economy. One well-trained teacher will influence thousands of students over the course of their career.  

Students who have more effective teachers are  to attend college, earn higher salaries, live in higher-income neighborhoods and save more for retirement. All of this results in GDP growth and more tax revenue. 

Additionally,  that the U.S. will be less economically competitive in the 21st century without a stronger teacher workforce, particularly in math and science.

Even as the federal government ignores the problem, state governments and education nonprofits are recognizing the educational and economic payoffs to teacher recruitment and are advocating for resources and legislation that recruit more teachers.

More than 30 states have invested in financial incentives to recruit teachers, with and leading the way with the most sizable investments. 

Nine state departments of education have partnered with  to launch a statewide teacher recruitment system. TEACH rebrands the teaching profession by dispelling myths and misperceptions and assists prospective teachers in overcoming barriers to entry, such as navigating the training and certification process, finding financial aid and passing certification exams. 

In 17 states,  attracts diverse talent into teaching by giving college students an opportunity to explore the profession through its Teaching Fellowship. Many college students are considering teaching but want more exposure before making a commitment. 

Through a paid, nine-week summer program, Breakthrough’s teaching fellows complete 100-plus hours of training, teaching and mentorship — building real classroom skills and leadership confidence. Breakthrough then partners with graduate schools, other certification programs and TEACH to ensure fellows have clear, supported routes into teaching careers.

These approaches recognize that there are tens of thousands of young people who consider teaching but are stopped by misperception barriers or practical hurdles. The only way we can address the teacher shortage is by proactively identifying these individuals and supporting their path into the field.

This is what the U.S. military does to recruit. This is what Fortune 500 companies do. This is what we need to do for the teaching profession.

Amid the federal rollbacks and growing demand for more teachers, philanthropy can play a significant role here in supporting efforts to recruit teachers. By investing in recruiting teachers — who will go on to inspire and engage their students — we are investing in the educational and economic future of our country in more ways than one.

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