Teachers

At least two dozen states — and Congress — have either proposed or enacted laws to increase teacher pay in the past couple of years.

A Rand survey finds that 16% of public school principals retired or quit in the 2021-22 school year, more than double the rate from the year before.

At least 10 states are considering an agreement that would make it easier for teachers licensed in one state to work in any of the others.

School districts, flush with cash from federal Covid relief funds, are looking to hire, and new teachers are figuring out how schools must adapt in the wake of a pandemic.

One district that has made the move is finding it easier to recruit and hire teachers. But some working parents say it is harder to manage.

"We are scrambling as a school, as a district" to catch up kids and address mental health needs, Jessica Gomez of Southern California says.

Many districts make the switch to attract teachers and save money. Though some extend the school day, classroom time often contracts.

Pandemic-era needs for substitute teachers are changing how schools fill the job – and who they hire to fill it.

And that’s on top of the fact that teacher pay was already relatively low.

Their salaries, most negotiated for years at a time, haven't kept up with sharply rising prices.