INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) this week will
submit to the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) its most recent list of
teacher shortage areas. Including such areas as Exceptional Needs and Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Indiana’s list highlights the
statewide struggle to find teachers for nearly 15 subjects.
Beginning in 1990, USDOE began asking states to annually submit a list of areas
highlighting the need for more teachers. IDOE’s submission includes: Business,
Computer Education, Computer Science, CTE Licensure Areas (all), Early
Childhood Education, Exceptional Needs (all), Fine Arts: Instrumental and
General Music, Fine Arts: Vocal and General Music, Mathematics, Science (all),
Secondary Language Arts, Technology Education, and Teachers of English
Learners; and World Languages (all).
“Sadly, ‘Indiana’ and ‘Teacher Shortage’ have become synonymous terms,” said
Dr. Jennifer McCormick, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. “For
nearly a decade we have struggled to find educators to fill even the frequently
offered classroom subjects. Unfortunately, this shortage continues to spill
into areas not only critical to Indiana’s educational plan, but areas that
prepare our students for a bright future. This also highlights the greater
issue that Indiana’s educators deserve better pay and more
practitioner-inclusive legislation in order to attract and retain them.”
To view the nationwide listing of teacher shortage areas, please visit: www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/ateachershortageareasreport2017-18.pdf.
For more information on Indiana’s Educator Preparation Programs, please visit: www.doe.in.gov/epps.
