Schools across the country struggle to lessen 'severe' teacher shortage
Experts also say teachers are worried about their safety when in the classroom.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Many kids are heading back to school in August, but experts say the nationwide teacher shortage is getting worse.
Some parts of the country are reporting the biggest staffing shortages in years, officials say.
More than 40 states are suffering from what's being called a "severe" teacher shortage. Many education officials are scrambling to fill open positions.
Locally, Pennsylvania has an estimated shortage of about 343 teachers. In New Jersey there are about 150 vacancies, and in Delaware there are about 205 positions that need to be filled.
One of the reasons for the shortages is low pay, as a starting salary averages about $40,000 a year.
Other factors include burnout from the pandemic, school violence, and a lack of respect from students.
Experts also say teachers are worried about their safety when in the classroom.
So far this year, there have been 23 school shootings resulting in deaths or injuries. Some schools are debating whether teachers should be armed.
"Safety is automatically, just because of the current climate of our country, at the top of every educator's mind, of every parent's mind, of every administrator's mind, and I think of every student's mind," said Jill Lemond, the assistant superintendent of school operations in Oxford, Michigan.
In Philadelphia, officials are doing what they can to bring in more teachers ahead of the school year.
To ease the shortage, some districts are asking athletic coaches, retired teachers, and even school principals to help out in the classroom.
