Understanding the Education Staffing Crisis: An Overview

September 23, 2024

If you’re having trouble filling educator spots on your staff, you’re not alone. Statistics show that there are more than 50,000 vacant teaching positions across the country and that more than 250,000 current positions are currently filled by underqualified teachers. According to a 2022 U.S. Department of Education report, 41 states and D.C. are facing teacher shortages in at least one grade level or subject area. Understanding the driving forces behind these startling numbers is vital to help reverse the tide and start filling those positions with qualified teachers who are passionate about their work and shaping young minds.


As we explore the various reasons behind the education staffing crisis, we’ll also examine what can be done to overcome it so that those in academia can begin to attract the talent they need to fill their positions.


Why Is There a Teacher Shortage?

When we talk about a teacher shortage, it does not solely pertain to vacant positions. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a teacher shortage is not only defined as having unfilled positions but also refers to positions that are filled by teachers in a different subject than they are certified to teach in and those positions filled by underqualified teachers.


Here are several contributing factors to the nationwide teacher shortage:


Low Salaries

Talk to any teacher and they’ll tell you how much less they earn compared to other professions with similar education requirements. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average American elementary and high school teachers earn $69,480. The discrepancy in salary has led to many teachers leaving their positions in academia for higher-paying jobs.


Excess Workload

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many teachers had to learn how to provide virtual instruction and in-person lessons. This doubled their workload in many cases. Although everyone is back to in-person lessons, teachers still have a lot on their plates. From large classes to requests to teach out of their areas of expertise, many teachers are dealing with a heavy workload that is burning them out. This is leading some to look for other career paths besides teaching.


Challenging Conditions

Besides excess workloads, many teachers are dealing with challenging conditions inside the classroom. A lack of resources and complex student behaviors are among the issues. One study found that many are dealing with stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression.


What Can Be Done to Overcome the Education Staffing Crisis?

District leaders are constantly looking for ways to lure more teachers while educating the next generation.  Here are some roads that can be explored to overcome the education staffing crisis.


Boost Salaries

While there are often budget constraints, finding ways to boost teachers’ salaries is one way to ease the staffing shortages. This lets teachers know that the work they are doing is valued and will help to not only attract top talent but also prevent current teachers from going elsewhere.


Promote Career Advancement

One way to attract more teachers to fill vacancies is to provide career advancement opportunities. This allows teachers to grow professionally while remaining on the job and can work to support teacher recruitment and retention.


Provide a Healthy Work Environment

Providing a healthy working environment is important for teacher retention and filling vacancies. By offering teachers the support they need, it can help to prevent stress and burnout. This can include ample time for lesson plans and grading to provide a better work-home balance. Some districts also offer discounted gym memberships to give staff members a better chance of living a healthy lifestyle. This helps to prevent illness, which works towards maintaining a steady staff.


Increase Efficiency

Modern operations systems can boost team efficiency. Management software is one route to explore to strengthen staff support and increase staff efficiency. This can be an attractive selling point to candidates considering an open position.


Let Summit Careers Help to Fill Your Vacancies

Summit Careers is committed to helping you overcome the education staffing crisis and fill your vacancies. With a database of more than 60,000 qualified candidates, we are confident you will find a perfect match. Contact us today to learn more about our professional staffing services.

From Vacancy to Velocity: How Fast Ancillary Hiring Drives Student Success

July 23, 2025
When you think about what contributes to a student’s success, it extends well beyond the classroom. Besides faculty members who work with students inside the classroom, many other staff members are needed for a student to be successful and well-rounded. This is why filling these positions is so vital. When these positions remain vacant for too long, the daily workflow can get disrupted, impeding a student’s success. At Summit Careers, our team is committed to filling vacant ancillary staff positions as soon as possible so that schools and universities can continue working at their fullest potential. Let’s take a closer look at how ancillary hiring truly drives student success. Contributing to Student Success: The Benefits of Filling Ancillary Vacancies Supportive Learning Environment When ancillary vacancies are filled, students can receive the supportive learning environment that they deserve. Ancillary staff, such as counselors, mentors, tutors, and others, can allow students to receive help that may not be available inside the classroom. Without the hard work of these individuals, students may lack the guidance they need to succeed. Reduce Teacher Workload It takes a village to teach a child. Much of that village can come from the help of ancillary staff members who can take some of the workload off of teachers. By doing so, teachers can focus more on teaching each child and giving them the attention they deserve. Improved Student Well-Being When we think of school staff, we may automatically think about teachers and teaching aides. But, staff members such as school nurses and guidance counselors can ensure that a student’s health and well-being are taken care of. When a student is not healthy physically or mentally, they will not be able to reach their fullest potential. But when a student is feeling well physically and in a good emotional and mental state, they have the energy and tools they need to reach for the stars. Besides nurses and guidance counselors, janitors and school cleaning staff are also vital to a student’s success because they help to maintain a sanitary learning environment. If a student is surrounded by a dirty learning environment, they are at a greater risk of becoming ill. Sickness results in lost classroom time that can negatively impact a student’s success. Technical Support We all know how much everyone relies on technology these days, especially in schools. Many lessons are available online only, and assignments are completed online. When something goes wrong on the technical side, it can impact learning. By hiring the right technical support staff, you can feel confident that you have the right people in place to spring into action when a technical problem arises. Technical support can help to fix problems before they become catastrophes that can severely impact daily operations. Social Development Social development can also contribute to a student’s success. Being involved in school clubs and activities allows students to meet others and expand their social circles. Staff who work to plan activities and coach sports play an important part in a student’s life. These staff members help students to foster their social skills, which allows them to become well-rounded individuals. Bridge Communication Gaps Communication is key when it comes to a student’s learning path. Support staff can serve as liaisons between teachers, administrators, and students. By fostering greater communication, these support staff members can contribute to a student’s success. Let Summit Careers Fill Your Ancillary Staff Vacancies Now If you have vacancies for ancillary staff members, Summit Careers is here to help. We have a growing database of candidates who are looking for jobs just like yours. We use the most efficient practices so that we can fill vacancies quickly. Contact us today and learn how we can work together to fill your vacancies and help students succeed.

The Hidden Backbone of Higher Ed: Why Your Next Great Hire Isn’t a Professor

June 26, 2025
When you think about the staff needed to run a university, your employee list extends well beyond professors. There is a hidden backbone of higher education…academic support staff, janitors, cashiers, and more that are essential to having a university system that runs efficiently. These non-faculty staff should not be overlooked because of the vital services they offer daily. As we take a closer look at the benefits these staff members bring, you can see why filling these vacancies now is more important than ever. The Importance of Non-Faculty Staff in Higher Education When we talk about non-faculty staff, we’re talking about a variety of positions. Let’s take a look at what these include and why they’re so important. Academic & Student Staff Positions Non-academic staff like counselors, advisors, and financial aid officers are necessary because they help students secure the right financial aid and navigate the many challenges that surround college life. Without these staff members, students would be lost when it comes to course selection, financial aid, and even work-study options. IT Staff We all know the importance of technology staff in higher education. Without people to troubleshoot computer and technical problems, many universities and the students they serve would be lost. Janitors & Food Service Staff Janitors and food service staff are crucial to making a university run smoothly. Without a staff of dedicated workers to maintain the university and its grounds, it won’t have the curb appeal that is essential for students to want to come to the school. This can hurt school enrollment and have damaging effects. Food service staff are just as important. Without them, students would not receive the meals they need. This includes cooks and cashiers. These roles can’t be vacant because, without them, students would not be able to eat on campus. Security Officers A college university without security officers is unsafe and will not appeal to any incoming students. Having qualified security officers is vital to maintain the safety of the campus and everyone on it. Background checks on these officers are important to ensure that they are safe for the job. Event Coordinators College events help to make college life fun for students. Event coordinators know how to plan gatherings that will draw students in and bring excitement to the campus. This helps to maintain a positive campus culture and to draw in new students, both of which are important to a thriving college campus. Student Life Staff Residence life coordinators and similar staff members are also an important part of the staffing puzzle at any university campus. These staff members ensure that students have what they need in their residence halls. They work to make sure that students are safe and help them have a positive experience. Administrative Specialists These staff members support academic departments, giving them the help they need to provide a quality education to students. Research Associates Many people don’t realize the importance of research associates. A research associate works under a faculty member to collect and analyze data, design experiments, and contribute to the development of grant proposals and research publications. Coaches Coaches are also an important part of the university staff. These staff members lead different sports teams year-round. Having people who are qualified and experienced can truly elevate a university’s athletic program. As you can see, there is a variety of staff members needed to make higher education a success. If you are looking to fill these types of roles, Summit Careers can help . We receive resumes daily from people looking to fill these roles in higher education. Let us match you with your next hire so that you can have an experienced and committed employee on your team. Reach out to us today to learn more!

Using Job Marketplaces to Find the Best Employees: What You Need to Know

May 15, 2025
When you’re looking for the best employees to fill your vacancies, it can be difficult to know where to look. While general job postings may help discover your next superstar, you may also be inundated with unqualified applicants. Sifting through these resumes can be tedious and may not yield the results you need. The need to find qualified applicants leads some employers to a job marketplace to seek their next employee. While they can be beneficial, they also have their pitfalls that some employers don’t realize until it’s too late. Let’s explore the pros and cons of job marketplaces so you can decide if using one is the best solution to fill your hiring needs. Benefits of Using a Job Marketplace There are several ways that using a job marketplace can benefit employers. Here are some things to consider: Convenience Using a job marketplace allows employers to post openings and manage applications all in one place. This can help to save time, although there may be many applications to sort through until you find even one qualified candidate. Targeted Search Many job marketplaces allow employers to filter their searches for the specific skills, experience levels, and locations they are looking for. This can help to weed out unqualified candidates. Wide Pool of Candidates There is a wide pool of candidates available through job marketplaces. This gives employers access to applicants they may not have seen elsewhere. While this wide pool of candidates can offer choice, some employers can find it overwhelming to have so many people looking for positions. Cost-Effective Some job marketplaces offer free or low-cost options for posting jobs. This is appealing to many employers who don’t want to spend a lot of money searching for candidates. Access to Data Marketplaces can give employers access to data regarding skills and experience. This can help them to make informed decisions during the hiring process. Use Niche Job Marketplaces If you are searching for skilled manufacturing candidates, you can seek out niche job marketplaces that should only attract these types of candidates. These are job boards targeted to particular industries. People using these boards should be looking for jobs just like yours. Just be on the lookout for frauds, because there may still be people trying to use these marketplaces and waste your time in the process. Drawbacks of Using a Job Marketplace While there are several benefits to turning to a job marketplace to find qualified candidates, there are also drawbacks that need to be recognized such as: Low-Quality Applicants Employers may discover a large pool of low-quality applicants or ones that just don’t match the skills of the job description. Taking time to sort through these applicants may cause employers to miss out on candidates who are truly qualified and eager to work. Job marketplaces may also not attract top talent, as these types of applicants may prefer to deal with companies directly or through networking opportunities. Competition The competition among companies on job marketplaces can be tough. With too many companies crowding the field, it can be difficult for top-quality companies to stand out. Prospective employees may have trouble finding you, and you may miss out on stellar employees as a result. High Cost While there are some affordable job marketplaces, there are others that charge fees per post or per application. If you’re a company hiring for multiple positions, this can get expensive quickly. Despite the benefits of using a job marketplace, hiring managers must still use their valuable time to seek out qualified applicants. This can take away from the time they need to complete other tasks. This is why many companies turn to recruiting agencies. Recruiting agencies have dedicated staff to uncover talent and bring you only the most qualified candidates. Contact Summit Careers to Find Your Next Employee Summit Careers is here to help you find your next employee. Utilizing the services of a recruiting service like ours can help to increase retention rates so you’re not dealing with the same vacancies in another six months. We focus on attracting and helping you hire the right talent, leading to higher employee satisfaction. We all know happy employees are more likely to stay than those who are unsatisfied. If you’re ready to streamline your hiring process and find your next superstar, contact the Summit Careers team today . Let us show you what we can do for you!