Teaching demands during the pandemic have exacerbated the nation’s teacher shortage. Abbott wants a task force to investigate
Substitute teacher Kara Huesser helps a student at Buda Elementary School in Hays CISD on Jan. 18, 2022., our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
In a letter to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath on Monday, Abbott said the task force should investigate why these shortages exist, recommend policy changes to the state education agency and consider more flexibility in the teacher certification process. By last summer, school districts reported a rising number of teacher vacancies. The Houston Independent School District, the largest district in the state, had more than 700 vacant positions last summer.because both full-time and substitute teachers were out with COVID-19. In some instances, districts were asking parents to watch over classrooms.