National Absence & Hiring Trends

In our report series Crossing the Line, we explored special education classification rates – in particular, the diversity across states and local school districts and implications on equity. We explored the perceived impact of policy and resources, district support and services, and even professional development on special education classification rates. As we process through those findings, inevitably we have to ask the question, “What now?” How do we translate data into action?

At a time when educators are facing growing demands on their time and energy the teacher shortage expands to virtually all corners of county, , the work of attracting, supporting, growing and retaining high-quality educators is now more important than ever. A strategic approach to human capital management (HCM) plays a key role in supporting all of the people who work hard to help students meet their own growing challenges.

The most recent Monthly Absence Report (June 2018) features some surprising statistics taken from data representing 5,795 public school districts, charter schools, education service agencies and private schools across the country.

Despite the number of recent articles being posted in newsfeeds with increasing regularity, the ongoing teacher shortage crisis isn’t breaking news. But according to A Leak in the Pipeline: How Hiring Bias Might Be Compounding the Teacher Shortage, we may be missing a key contributor to the shortages plaguing many districts across the country.