Maryland school districts are experiencing a shortage of teachers across different grades and subjects. The primary challenge of recruitment includes a decline in the number of students enrolling in teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities nationwide, making it difficult to find suitable candidates for special education and secondary mathematics. The shortage of teachers is most pronounced in Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester, and St. Mary’s County. One of the reasons for the shortage is the high cost of living in Maryland compared to surrounding areas such as Virginia and the District of Columbia. Furthermore, the negative portrayal of the teaching profession through media sources also affects the number of candidates available at hiring fairs. However, school districts in Maryland are addressing the issue head-on through the implementation of the Maryland Educator Shortage Act, a bill that would provide financial assistance for teachers and mental health professionals, support diversification of the public school workforce, and establish a service year option for Maryland’s youth, placing them in high-need fields, including teaching.
Educator Shortages Persist in Maryland’s Local School Systems
All 24 local school systems in Maryland have highlighted the challenge they face in hiring and retaining qualified educators in their Blueprint implementation plans. As per the local laws, every Local Education Agency (LEA) was required to submit their plan detailing their efforts to implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
Maryland Matters reports that Frostburg State University’s (FSU) decrease in enrollment of local students from Allegany County or surrounding areas has created a shortage of potential teacher candidates. This trend has led to fewer applicants to fill vacancies, such as six secondary math vacancies in Allegany County Public Schools in 2022, where only six candidates applied.
In Anne Arundel County, there are difficulties in filling intermediate elementary grade positions, especially in the 4th and 5th grade. According to their recent data analysis, teachers prefer younger grade levels, and if they are not able to teach in these levels, they often go to surrounding districts where there are primary grade vacancies. AACPS has needs spanning all content areas, including over 50 in special and elementary education.
Baltimore City faces a recruitment challenge in hiring for the next school year, especially in harder-to-fill content areas such as Career and Technical Education (CTE), English as a Second Language (ESOL), math, science, special education, and world languages. City Schools’ student interns are mostly becoming certified in elementary, English, and social studies, with relatively low numbers of students in colleges of education electing to become certified in these harder-to-fill content areas. Moreover, CTE teachers often have significant industry experience, and depending on their vocation, the salaries they can earn in their industries exceed what they will earn as CTE teachers.
These ongoing challenges in hiring and retaining qualified educators in Maryland’s local school systems are concerning. With various shortages across multiple content areas, it is crucial to address these recruitment challenges and find ways to attract qualified educators to these positions.
Maryland’s Local School Systems Continue to Face Challenges in Recruiting and Hiring Teachers
All 24 local school systems in Maryland have highlighted the ongoing challenge to hire and retain qualified educators in their local Blueprint implementation plans. Recent reports show that Baltimore County Public Schools, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Allegany County, Calvert County, Caroline County, and other counties in Maryland have had difficulties hiring and retaining qualified educators.
Baltimore County Public Schools have struggled to recruit and hire teachers in critical areas such as special education, mathematics, science, technology education, world languages (Spanish), and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Recently, elementary education, early childhood, English, and social studies have been added to the critical need areas. Hiring at all levels has been challenging, with middle school level positions being more difficult to fill. Each year, BCPS hires more conditionally certified teachers in critical shortage areas. Moreover, there has been a national decline in the number of teacher candidates enrolled and graduating from teacher education programs.
Calvert County Public Schools have also experienced difficulties hiring teachers, particularly in math and science for secondary education, as well as all grade levels in special education. The geographic location and limited housing options for single employees are additional challenges for Calvert County. While less than an hour from Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, the county is predominantly rural, with few options for rental housing and entertainment for recent college graduates.
Recruitment challenges in Caroline County Public Schools stem from a number of factors, including supply of teacher candidates, competition from other areas, and certification requirements. CCPS competes with mostly the other nine Eastern Shore counties for candidates, and the number of local teacher candidates is continuing to decrease while their demand increases. While currently ranking 3rd on the shore in terms of starting salary, CCPS has traditionally been lower in that comparison, which is a disadvantage to recruitment efforts. Moreover, when certified teaching candidates cannot be found, conditional candidates must be hired to fill the positions and staff schools.
These ongoing recruitment challenges in Maryland’s local school systems are a cause for concern. With various shortages across multiple content areas, it is crucial to address these recruitment challenges and find ways to attract qualified educators to these positions.
Local School Systems in Maryland Struggle with Teacher Shortages
Local school systems in Maryland, including Carroll County, Cecil County, and Charles County, are facing significant recruitment challenges when it comes to hiring highly qualified teachers for critical shortage areas.
Carroll County
The number of individuals selecting teaching as a profession continues to decline in Maryland. Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) are also facing the challenge of producing relatively few graduates in relation to the state’s need. The shortage of local candidates and in-state programs that lead to teacher certification in critical shortage areas puts an emphasis on out-of-state recruiting efforts to help fill vacancies in CCPS. Nearly 75% of the applicants for teacher positions in CCPS are seeking positions in non-critical shortage content areas.
Cecil County
Cecil County Public Schools are experiencing a shortage of certified candidates due to decreased enrollment in education programs. As the workforce ages out, CCPS will continue to face challenges in hiring certified candidates. The number of conditional candidates being hired in critical shortage areas, including special education for all grade levels and 6-12 math, has increased. CCPS struggles with attracting graduates with mathematics degrees into the field of education due to other career opportunities with higher salaries and fringe benefits.
Charles County
Diverse representation in education remains a challenge across the nation, including Maryland. Charles County Public Schools have made progress in increasing representation, surpassing the state. For example, CCPS has increased the overall number of diverse professional staff by 8.5% over the past five years, outpacing the state by 5.71%. Recruitment outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) allow access to diverse staff candidates. The school system will continue to evaluate data to target universities and job fairs for recruitment of diverse candidates.
These recruitment challenges in Maryland’s local school systems are concerning. With shortages in critical areas and decreased enrollment in education programs, it is crucial to find ways to attract qualified educators to these positions. While some school systems are making progress in increasing diversity and representation, there is still a long way to go to ensure that all students have access to highly qualified teachers.
Challenges in Hiring and Retaining Qualified Educators in Maryland Counties
In their local Blueprint implementation plans, all 24 counties in Maryland have highlighted the ongoing challenge to hire and retain qualified educators to serve public schools. The shortage of teachers is a nationwide issue, and Maryland is no exception. Aspiring teachers are opting for other careers that provide better salaries and benefits, resulting in a decrease in the number of teacher candidates in the state.
Baltimore County
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) has historically faced challenges in recruiting and hiring teachers in critical need areas, including special education, mathematics, science, technology education, world languages (Spanish), and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Recently, elementary education, early childhood, English, and social studies have also been added to the list. The challenges are more prevalent at the middle school level. In recent years, BCPS has hired more conditionally certified teachers to fill critical shortage areas.
Calvert County
Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) has had a difficult time hiring teachers in certain subject areas, such as secondary education in math and science and all grade levels in special education. A challenge for CCPS is the geographic location, as it is predominantly rural with few options for rental housing and entertainment for recent college graduates.
Caroline County
Caroline County Public Schools (CCPS) competes with mostly the other nine Eastern Shore counties for candidates, and the number of local teacher candidates is continuing to decrease while the demand increases. Although CCPS ranks third on the shore in terms of starting salary, they have traditionally been lower, which is a disadvantage to recruitment efforts. Moreover, when certified teaching candidates cannot be found, conditional candidates must be hired to fill the positions and staff the schools.
Carroll County
The supply of teachers continues to be a significant concern for Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS), as data show that the number of individuals selecting teaching as a profession continues to decline. Vacancies in critical shortage content areas combined with a shortage of local candidates and in-state programs that lead to teacher certification in those areas result in an emphasis on out-of-state recruiting efforts to help fill those vacancies in CCPS.
Cecil County
Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS) faces the challenge of hiring certified candidates as the workforce ages out. This has increased the number of conditional candidates being hired, specifically in special education and 6-12 Math, where CCPS continues to struggle with attracting graduates with mathematics degrees into the field of education.
Charles County
Diverse representation in education throughout the state of Maryland and across the nation remains a challenge. Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has progressed in increasing representation, surpassing the state. The proximity of the Washington, D.C. metro area and recruitment outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) allow access to diverse staff candidates despite the shrinkage in the teacher pipeline across the US.
Dorchester County
Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has an extremely high turnover rate, with an attrition rate of 18% for the 2021-22 school year. DCPS has drafted a Recruiting Plan for the current school year, specifying recruitment fairs targeting critical needs areas. DCPS also looks to recruit Special Education teacher candidates from colleges and universities with solid reputations for producing quality Special Education teachers, such as Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Frederick County
Of the teachers employed during the 2021-2022 reporting period, approximately 170, or 39%, were hired to teach in critical shortage areas in Frederick County. These critical shortage areas now include all content areas, with special education and English learners presenting
Teacher Recruitment Challenges in Maryland Counties
Maryland public schools are facing significant challenges in recruiting and hiring highly qualified educators. The following sections detail the specific recruitment challenges for each of the Maryland counties.
Baltimore County
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) has historically had difficulties with recruiting and hiring highly qualified teachers in critical need areas such as special education, mathematics, science, technology education, world languages (Spanish), and English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Recently, the critical need areas have expanded to include elementary education, early childhood, English, and social studies. While hiring at all levels is challenging, middle schools face more difficulties. As a result, BCPS has been hiring more conditionally certified teachers in these critical shortage areas. Moreover, there has been a national decline in the number of teacher candidates enrolled and graduating from teacher education programs.
Calvert County
Calvert County Public Schools have had challenges in hiring teachers in certain subject areas, specifically secondary education math and science, and all grade levels of special education. Additionally, limited rental housing and entertainment options in rural Calvert County make it less attractive for recent college graduates.
Caroline County
Recruiting highly qualified teachers in Caroline County is challenging due to several factors such as a decrease in the number of local teacher candidates and competition from other areas. CCPS also struggles with recruiting in critical shortage areas as it ranks 3rd on the Eastern Shore in starting salaries.
Carroll County
Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) faces an extremely high turnover rate, with an attrition rate of 18% for the 2021-2022 school year. Historically, DCPS has had difficulty filling most certified teaching vacancies. As a result, DCPS has drafted a Recruiting Plan for the current school year, targeting critical needs areas such as Special Education and drafting a heightened focus on HBCUs to recruit a more diverse population.
Cecil County
Cecil County Public Schools have reported a decreased enrollment in education programs resulting in fewer candidates for vacancies. As the workforce ages out, CCPS faces the challenge of hiring certified candidates. CCPS has increased the number of conditional candidates being hired in special education and 6-12 math positions.
Frederick County
Frederick County Public Schools struggle with attracting qualified candidates to teach in critical shortage areas, including special education and EL positions throughout all grade levels, and science, mathematics, STEM, and CTE positions at the secondary level.
Garrett County
Garrett County Public Schools traditionally had a strong pool of teacher candidates in all certificate areas. Still, in recent years, they have had fewer applicants for all positions, creating a challenge to hire highly qualified educators to fill classroom positions. To combat this shortage, GCPS has implemented several Grow Your Own initiatives to build a pipeline of educators within the school system. Additionally, a lack of affordable housing and limited job opportunities for spouses make it challenging to recruit teachers to GCPS.
Harford County
Harford County Public Schools have been impacted by a lack of educators coming from Maryland Institutes of Higher Education (MIE). HCPS has had to use creative measures to fill classroom vacancies, including misassigning teachers outside of their field, hiring conditional teachers, and spending much more time, money, and effort to recruit certified teachers that are available. To compete with other local education agencies, HCPS has had to hire students early in their internship year, which does not allow for a full evaluation of their skillset and fit for students.
Howard County
Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) are competing with other states that offer educators benefits such as free tuition if they teach in the state for a certain number of years. Moreover, individuals hired on a conditional certificate find it challenging to pass various praxis tests and
Challenges for Hiring Teachers in Maryland: Prince George’s County
The challenges of hiring teachers in Prince George’s County are multifaceted, including declining enrollment in Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher Education programs, both locally and nationally. One of the challenges is the requirement of the state to hold dual certification (Special Education & Early Childhood) for teachers in the Early Childhood Centers. This has resulted in a lack of teacher candidates due to a decline in individuals enrolling in teacher preparation programs in higher education and alternative preparation programs. Other challenges include recruiting and retaining eligible candidates with certification and experience in ESOL and Special Education, as well as recruiting and retaining diverse teachers, particularly Hispanic/Latino and male teacher candidates. Additionally, the cost of living in Maryland compared to surrounding localities such as Virginia and the District of Columbia is a significant challenge.
Hiring Challenges in Queen Anne’s County
In Queen Anne’s County, Secondary Science, Math, and World Languages have historically been the most critical areas and hardest to find, with fewer students entering these fields of study. With the current teacher shortage, finding Special Education, Elementary, and Secondary positions in all levels is increasingly difficult. The challenges associated with hiring in these areas stem from decreased enrollment in teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities nationwide.
Recruiting Prospective Teachers in St. Mary’s County
St. Mary’s County faces several challenges in recruiting prospective teachers. One of the major factors is the county’s location, as it is rural and lacks major attractions that would encourage recent graduates to begin their careers there. Additionally, the median household income in 2021 was $102,859, which is well above the starting salary of a teacher, making it difficult for single, recent graduates. The high income also results in expensive and scarce apartments and rentals, with the average apartment price being $1,000 to $1,200, which is almost half of a new teacher’s monthly bring-home pay. Furthermore, Pax River Naval Air Station (NAVAIR) is the largest competitor as teachers are often attracted to government jobs and higher salaries that the government and its contractors can offer.
Hiring and Retaining Teachers in Somerset County
Somerset County School System faces challenges in hiring and retaining Art, World Language, Special Education, Secondary Math, and Secondary English teachers. The lack of candidates specializing in these certification areas is a significant challenge, as well as the lack of area colleges graduating teacher candidates with these credentials.
These challenges highlight the growing teacher shortage in Maryland, as well as nationwide, and demonstrate the need for increased efforts to attract and retain qualified teachers in critical areas.
Teacher Shortage in Maryland School Systems
Maryland school systems are experiencing significant teacher shortages, with a lack of candidates in critical areas such as special education, mathematics, science, and foreign languages. The problem is compounded by increased demand and a competitive job market, with teachers having more opportunities to pursue a career in education closer to their desired area.
Challenges Faced by Maryland School Systems
Prince George’s County
Prince George’s County school system faces a decline in enrollment in Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher Education programs, both locally and nationally. It also struggles with the capabilities of interested candidates to successfully complete MSDE certification requirements and/or pay for additional required courses needed to earn certification. Lack of teacher candidates due to decline in individuals enrolling in teacher preparation programs in higher education and in alternative preparation programs. Recruiting and retaining enough eligible candidates with certification and experience in ESOL and Special Education. Recruiting and retaining diverse teachers, particularly Hispanic/Latino, and male teacher candidates. Additionally, the cost of living in Maryland compared to surrounding localities such as Virginia and the District of Columbia is high.
Queen Anne’s County
Queen Anne’s County has faced shortages in Secondary Science, Math, and World Languages, with fewer students entering these fields of study. With the current teacher shortage, the system is also finding it hard to recruit Special Education, Elementary, and Secondary positions in all levels. The challenges associated with hiring in these areas stem from the decreased enrollment in teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities nationwide.
St. Mary’s County
St. Mary’s County faces many factors that impact their ability to recruit prospective teachers, including location, which is rural and lacks any major attractions that would encourage recent graduates to begin their careers there. The median household income is well above the starting salary of a teacher, making it difficult for single, recent graduates. Pax River Naval Air Station (NAVAIR) is their largest competitor, attracting teachers to government jobs and higher salaries.
Somerset County
Somerset County School System has struggled to hire and retain Art, World Language, Special Education, Secondary Math, and Secondary English teachers. Challenges are a lack of candidates specializing in these certification areas as well as the lack of area colleges graduating teacher candidates with these credentials.
Talbot County
Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS) has had success in ensuring that certified teachers fill each classroom regardless of grade-level or content area. Historically, the greatest challenge in securing qualified teachers has been in special education and secondary mathematics. The high demand for teachers in these two areas has impacted the number of qualified candidates available, and lower salaries on the Eastern Shore make it difficult to compete with higher paying districts. The school system has engaged contractual special education positions when needed to secure adequate staffing, and schedules have been combined to accommodate vacant math positions. TCPS has seen its greatest shortage of teachers in the 2022-2023 school year.
Washington County
Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) predicts a continuation of vacancy needs, particularly in grade and subject areas in which industries requiring comparable skills (for example: math, science, foreign language, speech language pathologists) are more appealing due to benefits, compensation, and work environment and expectations. Two of the four challenges in the county schools include an increase in the number of students diagnosed with disabilities that qualify for special education, with qualified staff and college students reluctant to pursue careers in special education, and 6% of current WCPS teachers eligible for retirement within the next three years.
Wicomico County
Wicomico County Public Schools has struggled to recruit and hire secondary math, science, early childhood, and special education teachers. Middle school positions are exceptionally difficult to fill. The challenges for hiring teachers in these areas are higher teacher turnover, extra course
According to recent data, Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) will need Early Childhood and Elementary teachers, as well as Special Education teachers at all levels, in the near future. To tackle the teacher shortage, WCPS has drafted a Recruiting Plan for the current school year, which includes recruitment fairs targeting critical needs areas. The Teacher Recruitment Fair has been successful in recruiting and hiring both novice and veteran teachers from around the Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia regions. The fair is held in March to get an early start over other school districts in the region.
Legislative Efforts
To address the teacher shortage issue in Maryland, several bills are being proposed in the 2023 legislative session and the General Assembly. These include the Maryland Educator Shortage Act (HB 1219/SB 893), which aims to increase financial assistance for teachers and mental health professionals in public schools, and support diversification of the state’s public school workforce. Other bills include SB 791/HB 883 related to the job duties and career ladder for educators and assistant principals, SB 482/HB 448 to extend Maryland’s loan repayment assistant program to include school mental health staff, and SB 511/HB 546 to establish a service year option for Maryland’s youth, placing them in high-need fields, including teaching. Keep an eye on Conduit Street for more updates on this issue and others like it.
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