Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage is worsening after a decade. For the first time in history, the number of emergency teaching permits has outpaced the newly certified teachers.

There were more than 15,000 new certifications in 2010 and that number has dropped by 10,800 in the past decade. The shortage has been worsened by COVID and it’s still on the decline. Emergency permit teachers tend to hang up the job quicker than the highest-performing teachers so the sharp decline in certified teachers is worrying for the younger generations.

The reason for this shockingly low amount of new teachers is the steady increase in tuition and the low pay for new teachers. Another reason this decline is getting worse is because of COVID-19 and people are worried about being around so many people. Teachers, we need you! You are important to our educational system. We hope this shortage quickly subsides, but there is no telling.