Maryland’s teacher shortage shrinks as vacancies hit post-pandemic lows

State education officials gathered Monday at an Annapolis elementary school to cheer a steep decline in teacher vacancies over the last four years.

Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright announced the number of open teaching jobs at Maryland public schools fell from a high of 2,145 in 2022 to just under 600 today. She touted salary enhancements and recruitment and retention efforts as central to the state’s success in reducing its yearslong teacher shortage.

“We have moved collaboratively, strategically and cohesively to get more teachers in Maryland classrooms — and keep them there,” she said during a news conference at Hillsmere Elementary. “The number of teacher vacancies is at a historic low.”

Many school districts across the country struggled to hire teachers after the pandemic. Some people left the profession due to concerns about their health while others struggled to manage the learning and behavioral challenges that emerged for students after lockdowns ended.

Although hiring has accelerated, several Baltimore-area school districts managing tight budgets have also eliminated hundreds of open positions in recent years, meaning some systems had fewer teaching jobs to fill.

Baltimore County Public Schools cut 600 positions to balance this school year’s budget, and half of those were teaching jobs. Montgomery County cut 415 jobs in June, including more than 100 special education resource teacher roles.

A full report analyzing these factors will be prepared later this year, said Josh Michael, president of the Maryland State Board of Education. For now, Maryland should celebrate this achievement, he added, arguing that the state’s progress boosting proficiency in math and English language arts is due in part to growing stability in the teacher workforce.

“Every student deserves teachers who open doors to opportunity that empower them to reach their highest potential,” he said.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has managed to shrink its teacher vacancy rate while avoiding cuts or layoffs, school district data shows. On the first day of school in August, Bedell said there were only 16 open teaching jobs across a district, which employs more than 5,000 educators.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Bedell, who joined the district in 2022. That school year, there were nearly 300 educator vacancies.

The $60,000 floor the district set for new teacher compensation has helped recruit job applicants, Bedell added, especially ones who are considering positions in neighboring states. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation requires all districts to adopt this baseline salary for educators.

Earlier this year, Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation intended to further reduce the state’s teacher shortage. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act aims to boost the number of licensed educators through recruitment campaigns as a debt-free pathway to licensure.

“We are proud of the historic progress we’ve made, and we won’t stop until every vacancy is filled to deliver the world class education our students deserve,” Moore said in a statement. The governor is running for reelection in November.