We know that strong teachers are crucial to the success of a career and technical education program. However, some schools find filling these roles difficult.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, many states identify CTE as a subject area that frequently experiences subject-specific teacher shortages. Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that the number schools that had a vacancy they were unable to fill for that school year grew from 4.5% for the 2015-16 school year to 6.5% in 2020-21.
When unable to find a teacher, the existence of CTE programs can be threatened. In our Policy Brief on teacher shortages, we identified that teacher shortages tend to be found in particular subjects and communities. Other subjects that frequently report shortages include science, math and special education. We also identified that rural and urban school districts are more likely to struggle with teacher shortages.
Teacher certification processes often have implications for both the recruitment and retention of teachers. In our updated 50-State Comparison on Secondary CTE, we re-examined the certification and licensure requirements for CTE teachers. Similar to our previous update in 2020, we found that the requirement areas for becoming a licensed CTE teacher have many commonalities, but the specifics can vary from state to state with different minimum number of hours, experiences or levels of education.
- Forty-eight states require CTE teachers to have work experience in the occupational area they will apply to teach in.
- Twenty-six states require CTE teachers to hold an industry recognized license or certification.
- Forty-one states require that CTE teachers receive some kind of training. These trainings can include: teaching or CTE professional development, holding of a standard K-12 teaching license or credential, or, alternatively, participation in either training required of teachers generally or training specific to their program field.
Many states are making efforts to bring new teachers into the classroom and ensure they remain in the profession. With recruitment efforts centered on certification, states balance ensuring that standards for teachers to enter the classroom remain rigorous while not so difficult that it keeps qualified individuals from becoming teachers. For example, in 2019, Indiana passed S.B. 438, which created a workplace specialist license. This license provides several options for proving a combination of work experience in a technical occupation area and education to earn a license.
Additionally, we know that overall compensation is a tool states can use to recruit and retain all teachers. This is applicable to teachers who transition to the classroom from other — often higher paying — careers. In 2020, Idaho passed S.1329, which adjusts the teacher career ladder payment schedule for CTE teachers to incorporate credit for the time they worked in industry. Maine also addressed this concern in 2021 with H.P. 866, which increased the minimum salary of CTE teachers from $37,500 to $40,000.
In addition to state allocated funds, Perkins V provides federal funds to CTE programs. States receiving Perkins V funds are required to allocate some of those funds to the recruitment and retention of program teachers. According to Advance CTE, some ways states have used these funds to develop pathways for industry professionals to become CTE teachers, create externships and teacher mentorships, revise teacher licensing processes and support these teachers in the process of getting re-certified. Advance CTE also identified that almost three-quarters of states provide professional development for CTE professionals.
As state policymakers continue to consider ways to strengthen and grow CTE programs to improve outcomes for students, they may also consider which policy levers can strengthen and grow the CTE teacher workforce at the same time.
