With those concerns, there are still some findings that can be pulled from the data in this report: The total percentage of individuals teaching on a special permission out of their l
Total number of licenses and assignments and unduplicated number of teachers
The total number of licenses or assignments is 217,946, with 106,879 representing the total licensed and 138,757 indicating total assignments The unduplicated number of teachers with current standard licenses is 133,945, while 63,629 teachers hold a current license after removing duplicates, and 64,487 teachers are actively licensed, reflecting those currently teaching When considering active teachers, the total number of current licenses held is 4,834, with 2,458 counted only once after removing duplicates The total assignments amount to 217,946, including all instructional and applicable roles, with 138,757 assignments by staff, and 4,834 under special permissions, with 2,458 teachers holding such special permissions only once Overall, these figures highlight the scope of licensed educators and instructional roles, emphasizing the distinctions between total counts and unduplicated numbers.
This report disaggregates this data to show how some licensure areas have a higher percentage of individuals teaching with special permissions; how some Economic
Development Regions (EDRs) have a high percentage of individuals teaching on special assignments; and how districts’ perceptions of the shortage remains high
The supply of teachers in Minnesota continues to pose challenges, with limited clear answers regarding whether current staffing levels meet the demand Future research should investigate why many teachers holding standard licenses are not actively working in the classroom Additionally, district guidance is needed on the appropriate license and assignment data to ensure accurate reporting and better workforce planning.
STAR system could be helpful in making sure that appropriate data for the analyses can be pulled out
This section describes active standard-licensed teachers in Minnesota public schools in
2017-18 The active licensed teachers is the closest measure currently available for the supply of teachers in Minnesota
Figure 2 shows the total number of such teachers in 2017-18 is 63,629 2 Most teachers
(91.0%) were returning teachers from the previous school year Newly licensed teachers from in and outside of Minnesota made up 3.8 percent of the teaching workforce in
2017-18 Most of the teachers identified as white (95.7%), followed by Asian (1.5%), black (1.4%), Hispanic (1.0%), and American Indian (0.4%) Three-quarters of the teachers were female.
Minnesota teacher profile in 2017-18 (N=63,436)
Transfer from non-Minnesota or non-public schools 775 1.2%
Newly licensed – graduates from outside of Minnesota 256 0.4%
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR a The teacher demographic data came from Employment data set, which has a different total number of teachers than in License data set
2 The number of teachers in Minnesota has increased every year since 2011 A total of 60,090 teachers in
2015-16 was reported in the 2017 Report of Teacher Supply and Demand (Minnesota Department of
Between 2015-16 and 2017-18, the exact changes in the number of active standard-licensed teachers remain unclear due to potential differences in calculation methods between reports Notably, the proportion of teachers of color stayed constant at 4.2 percent during this period.
Figure 3 shows that slightly more than half of the Minnesota teachers (34,062 of 63,436 or
53.7%) worked in the seven-county Twin Cities Economic Development Region (EDR11)
Figure 3 shows the proportions of teachers of color in each of the 11 Economic Development
In Minnesota, the Twin Cities EDR has the highest percentage of teachers of color in the state, highlighting ongoing efforts to promote diversity in education Conversely, Figure 3 reveals that the proportions of students of color in each EDR across Minnesota are significantly greater than those of teachers, underscoring disparities that need to be addressed to achieve a more equitable educational environment.
Proportion of teachers of color and students of color by Economic Development
Percentage of teachers of color
Percentage of students of color
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System -STAR
Figure 4 highlights that among active standard-licensed teachers, some are working in their licensed or endorsed areas, while others are not It also illustrates the specific subject areas where the highest proportions of appropriately licensed teachers are employed, providing insights into licensure alignment with teaching assignments.
Minnesota Statute § 122A.16 defines a “qualified teacher” as an individual holding a valid license for their specific assignment, typically referring to a standard full professional license Related-service licensure areas often have high proportions of licensed professionals due to additional requirements, licensure, and oversight by specialized professional boards Conversely, some endorsement areas show lower numbers of teachers holding these licenses, reflecting differences in qualification and demand across fields.
Appendix Figure A1 illustrates that teachers' assignments are often governed by their initial license, regardless of additional endorsements For example, an elementary-licensed teacher with a middle-level endorsement is officially identified as using their elementary license, even when they are assigned to roles requiring a middle-level endorsement This highlights how licensing designations influence staffing and classroom assignments within educational institutions.
License areas of most qualified teachers
Number of active teachers working in their license area
Total number of active teachers holding the license
Percentage of active teachers using their license
Music/band - vocal, instrumental, and classroom (general)*
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
This note highlights licenses with a high concentration of qualified teachers, specifically where the total number of active teachers holding the license exceeds 10 It also emphasizes that in these license areas, at least 89.51% of teachers are fully qualified These criteria ensure the analysis focuses on significantly active licensing regions with a strong presence of qualified educators, promoting reliable and relevant insights into teacher certification and qualification rates.
* This is a group of similar licenses
Appendix Figures A1 and A2 illustrate the distribution of licensed teachers across different license areas and grade levels, highlighting significant variations by grade For example, there are four distinct mathematics licenses – 5-12, 5-8, 7-12, and 9-12 – with the majority of teachers holding the 7-12 license (mathematics 7-12) teaching in the appropriate subject and grade levels, at a rate of 91.6% Conversely, only 37.1% of teachers with a middle school math license (mathematics 5-8) teach within that grade level Additionally, Appendix Figure A3 identifies the top five areas with the highest concentrations of qualified teachers in each Education Development Region (EDR), providing insights into regional teacher certification patterns.
Nearly all standard-licensed teachers, accounting for 98.1%, worked in at least one of their licensure or endorsement areas, demonstrating high specialization adherence This trend is consistent across demographic groups, with 98.4% of White teachers and 97.2% of teachers of color working within their licensed areas, highlighting widespread commitment to subject-area expertise Additionally, this pattern holds across Education Delivery Regions (EDRs), indicating uniformity in teachers’ alignment with their licensure and endorsement areas nationwide.
This section presents information on the various factors of demand, including student enrollment patterns Student count in comparison to the supply of teacher is only one measure of demand
Figure 5 shows that the total number of students enrolled in Minnesota schools in 2017-
18 is 884,852, an increase of over 20,000 students from 2015-16 The increase in student enrollment ranged from 0.5 percent to 5.1 percent in each region, with the South Central,
Upper Minnesota Valley, and Southwest EDRs experiencing the highest increase in their total student enrollment since 2015-16.
Student enrollment in 2017-18 and 2015-16 by Economic Development
Source Minnesota Department of Education’s Data Center
In 2017-18, one in three students in Minnesota (33.5%) were students of color, reflecting a significant increase in diversity across the state The percentage of students of color statewide grew by 2.1 percentage points from 2015-16 to 2017-18, indicating a positive trend toward greater racial and ethnic diversity in Minnesota's education system Additionally, every Education Demographic Region (EDR) experienced an increase in the share of students of color, with growth ranging from 0.9 to 2.8 percentage points, highlighting statewide progress in diversifying student populations.
Proportion of students of color in 2017-18 and 2015-16 by Economic
Source Minnesota Department of Education’s Data Center
Enrollment of special student populations remained stable overall, with a slight increase in the proportion of students receiving special education services Meanwhile, the share of students participating in free and reduced-price lunch programs slightly decreased since the 2015-16 academic year Additionally, there has been a noticeable change in the percentage of students classified as English language learners, reflecting evolving demographic trends.
Language Learners remained the same (Appendix Figure A6)
Another factor impacting demand is the shortage areas needing qualified teachers, which is described in the next section
This section highlights the teacher shortage areas in Minnesota public schools, including unfilled teaching positions and schools operating with teachers under special permissions or out of compliance The analysis underscores district perceptions of ongoing teacher shortages, challenges in recruiting racially diverse and standard-licensed teachers, and concerns about teacher preparedness to serve special student populations Additionally, it examines the racial and ethnic compositions of teachers compared to students, revealing disparities that impact overall educational equity across districts.
Teaching under special permissions and out of compliance
Across the state, 3.8% of all teachers held special permissions, while 0.3% worked out of compliance, as shown in Figure 7 The percentage of teachers working under special permissions or out of compliance varied across Education District Regions (EDRs), ranging from 2.9% in the Central EDR to higher proportions elsewhere These statistics highlight the importance of monitoring teacher compliance to ensure educational standards are maintained statewide.
EDR to 7.5 percent in the Northwest EDR Teachers of color were more likely to work under special permissions or out of compliance than white teachers were (14.1% vs 3.5%)
The proportion of male teachers who worked under special permissions or out of compliance was also slightly higher than the proportion of female teachers (5.2% vs 3.7%).
Teaching licensure status by Economic Development Region (EDR) and
Source Minnesota Department of Education’s Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
This analysis includes all teaching assignments, both licensed and non-licensed Some teachers held multiple assignments, with licensed roles for one and special permissions or non-compliance for others, resulting in a total percentage slightly exceeding 100% in each EDR Administrators with instructional roles were excluded from the data to ensure accurate representation of teaching staff.
7 Teaching licensure status by Economic Development Region (EDR) and teacher demographic characteristics (continued)
Teacher race Blank Blank Blank Blank
Teacher gender Blank Blank Blank Blank
Source Minnesota Department of Education’s Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
This analysis includes all teaching assignments, both licensed and non-licensed, with some teachers holding multiple roles—licensed for one assignment but teaching under special permissions or out of compliance for others, resulting in a total percentage slightly exceeding 100% in each EDR To ensure accuracy, all administrators who also served as instructional staff were excluded from the data set.
Most license areas, nearly 95%, included teachers working under special permissions or out of compliance, with significant variation across different fields (129 of 136 licenses) Figure 8 highlights districts with the highest proportions of such teachers, reflecting possible preferences for hiring non-standard licensed candidates, particularly in specialized areas like career and technical education or native language instruction For detailed definitions of special permissions, please refer to the Appendix.
License areas of most teachers with special permissions or out of compliance
Number of teachers with special permission or out of compliance
Total number of teachers with assignments Percent
World languages (Norwegian, Polish, Finnish,
Czech, Swahili, Vietnamese, or Hmong)*
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
Note Includes the licenses in which the total number of teachers with assignment >10 and the percentages of teachers with special permissions or out of compliance of 9.51 percent or more
* This is a group of similar licenses
8 License areas of most teachers with special permissions or out of compliance (continued)
Number of teachers with special permission or out of compliance
Total number of teachers with assignments Percent
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
Note Includes the licenses in which the total number of teachers with assignment >10 and the percentages of teachers with special permissions or out of compliance of 9.51 percent or more
* This is a group of similar licenses
In Minnesota schools, there are specific areas where a significant number of teachers—though less than 10% in each category—are working under special permissions or out of compliance Figure 9 highlights the regions with 100 or more teachers affected by these conditions across the state, emphasizing ongoing staffing challenges and compliance issues within the education system.
License areas with a high number of teachers working under special
permissions or out of compliance
Number of teachers working under special permissions or out of compliance
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR.
9 License areas with a high number of teachers working under special permissions or out of compliance (continued)
Number of teachers working under special permissions or out of compliance
Mild to moderate mentally handicap 112
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
* This is a group of similar licenses
Appendix Figures A8 and A9 reveal that teachers of color with special permissions or out-of-compliance status work across more license areas than their white counterparts These teachers are more likely to be employed in early childhood special education, various special education fields such as mild or moderate to severe mental disabilities, visual impairments, deaf education, autism spectrum disorders, as well as in world languages like Spanish Additionally, Appendix Figure A10 highlights the top five educational areas with the highest proportion of teachers working under special permissions or out-of-compliance in each Education District Region (EDR), emphasizing regional variations in licensing patterns.
The Teacher Supply and Demand Report, a statutory requirement, must include a district survey to assess the scope of the teacher shortage This survey helps identify declines in licensed applications for job postings and highlights when teaching positions remain unfilled Unlike data collected through the STAR database, which covers special permissions and assignments, these critical data points offer a clearer picture of staffing challenges across districts.
Many districts lack the necessary infrastructure to accurately track applicant numbers for all positions posted in the previous academic year As a result, district surveys primarily depend on perceptions of staff shortages rather than comprehensive data Improving data collection systems is essential for providing precise insights into staffing needs and addressing education workforce challenges effectively.
According to recent surveys, teacher shortages remain a significant concern for school districts, with 41.9% rating it as a major problem and 51.8% considering it a minor issue Conversely, only 6.4% of districts reported that teacher shortages are not a problem for their schools This data highlights the widespread challenge of attracting and retaining qualified teachers across educational institutions.
Over the past five years, more than half of the districts (57.6%) have experienced a significant decline in applicants, while an additional 32.3% report a moderate decrease in applicants This trend indicates a notable reduction in applicant numbers across many districts, highlighting shifting patterns in candidate availability over recent years.
School district perceptions of teacher shortages
Problems with teacher shortages Percent
Availability of teachers, compared to five years ago Blank
Over 12.7% of school districts reported canceling classes or programs due to teacher shortages The districts indicated a need for between one and four full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, with the majority (68.6%) stating they required one FTE teacher to address their staffing gaps.
Approximately 24.2% of school districts have shifted to alternative class formats, such as online instruction or combined classrooms, due to teacher shortages Most districts reported needing only one or two FTE teachers to support these new formats, with some requiring up to eight teachers to meet their staffing needs.
In addition to shortages of regular teachers, school districts reported shortages of substitute teachers, including shortages for 5-year short-call and 2-year limited short-call licenses
Most districts viewed these shortages as a serious problem (46.7-47.7% of districts reporting so for the 5-year short-call and 2-year limited short-call; Figure 11) or minor problem
Approximately 45.7% to 46.1% of districts reported challenges with substitute teacher shortages, while only a small percentage (6.2% to 7.6%) indicated no issues with short-call licenses About 40% of school districts noted a significant decline in the availability of substitute teachers holding both 5-year and 2-year limited short-call licenses compared to five years ago, highlighting increased staffing challenges over time.
School district perceptions of substitute teacher shortages
Problems with substitute teacher shortages Percent
5-year short-call license Blank
Number of school district respondents 308
2-year limited short-call license Blank
Number of school district respondents 289
Availability of substitute teachers now, compared to five years ago Blank
5-year short-call license Blank
Number of school district respondents 277
2-year limited short-call license Blank
Number of school district respondents 266
School districts were asked about positions that were budgeted for 2018-19, but were not filled because of a lack of qualified applicants The areas with the most unfilled teaching positions were:
Deaf or hard of hearing
Family education/early childhood education
Hmong, Ojibwe, and German languages
Some teaching areas pose challenges in finding qualified candidates for special permission positions To address these staffing gaps, districts may opt to suspend offering those subjects or assign additional responsibilities to existing licensed staff.
The new tiered licensure system introduces a Tier 2 license, which resembles previous limited, provisional, and nonrenewable licenses but sets higher expectations for teacher performance Several districts reported that numerous educators with Tier 2 licenses are actively working in various teaching areas, highlighting its growing role in the education workforce.
Teachers of computer, keyboarding, and related technology applications
Teacher/coordinator: work-based learning
Family education/early childhood education
The number of unfilled teaching positions and Tier 2 licensed teachers is based on posted job listings reported by district survey respondents However, variations exist in how individual school districts interpret and report these postings—some include all teachers, while others only count new hires—so these results should be approached with caution.
In the fall of 2018, school districts reported that their teachers' racial and ethnic demographics did not mirror those of their students, consistent with the 2017-18 STAR data A significant portion of districts had few teachers of color, with 38.4% reporting zero teachers of color and 35.8% indicating fewer than 6% of their teachers were people of color Conversely, only 26.5% of districts reported having between 11% and an unspecified higher percentage of teachers of color, highlighting ongoing disparities in diversity between teachers and students.
25 percent students of color and 19.4 percent reported that more than half of the students in the district were students of color.
School district report of proportion of teachers and students of color
Percent persons of color Teachers (N02) Students (N)4)
Most of the school districts reported that it was difficult to recruit teachers of color from the different racial and ethnic backgrounds (Figure 13).
School district perception of difficulty recruiting racially diverse teachers
Race or ethnicity of teachers N
Percentage of school districts reporting difficulty
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 306 94.1%
Black, not of Hispanic origin 306 90.2%
White, not of Hispanic origin 304 13.8%
Survey respondents were asked to rate the ease or difficulty of their district’s ability to recruit racially diverse teachers, providing responses for each racial group with options including easy, somewhat easy/somewhat difficult, and difficult These responses highlight the varying challenges districts face in attracting diverse teaching staff across different racial communities Understanding these recruitment barriers is essential for developing effective strategies to promote racial diversity among educators.
A recent survey revealed that nearly 60% of school districts consider their teachers well or mostly prepared to teach low-income students However, preparation levels decrease significantly for other vulnerable student populations, with only 35.9% of districts indicating their teachers are well or mostly prepared to teach students in foster care, 25.3% for homeless students, and even lower for English language learners These findings highlight the need for targeted professional development to better equip teachers to serve all at-risk student groups effectively.
Language Learners (24.9%), immigrants (14.2%), or refugees (9.3%).
School district perceptions of teacher preparedness to teach special student
Survey respondents were asked to assess their school district's teachers' preparedness to teach specific student populations The response options included "not prepared," "somewhat prepared," and "well or mostly prepared." The findings highlight varying levels of confidence among educators in effectively supporting diverse learners, emphasizing the need for targeted training and resources to enhance instructional readiness.
Percentage of school districts reporting “well or mostly prepared”
(those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch)
Students currently or previously in foster care 290 35.9%
Approximately 7,000 teachers from the 2016-17 school year did not return to their former school district for the 2017-18 academic year The primary reasons for their departure included personal circumstances, retirement, and transferring to other districts to continue their teaching careers.
(Figure 15) These data are reported by the districts through STAR reporting Future data collection should explore the reasons for teacher attrition, especially due to personal and unknown reasons.
Reasons for licensed teachers leaving at the end of 2016-17 school year
Termination status of licensed teachers at the end of 2016-17 N Percent
Leaving the district to teach in another district, state, or country 1,367 19.5% Not offered re-employment for reasons other than staff reduction 792 11.3%
Getting other educational job (substituting, etc.) 226 3.2%
Source Minnesota Staff Automated Reporting System –STAR
Strategies to recruit and retain teachers
School districts reported that they have used several strategies to recruit and retain standard-licensed teachers and teachers of color
Most school districts surveyed offer competitive salaries and post job openings beyond their usual locations to attract licensed teachers Additionally, many districts have implemented pipeline programs like residency models or Grow Your Own initiatives to develop local talent Some districts also provide hiring incentives to further recruit qualified educators.
Among the recruitment strategies, a larger share of districts reported that providing a competitive salary and creating a pipeline program made a very big difference (Figure
Several school districts have successfully implemented strategies such as posting job openings earlier, offering competitive benefits, collaborating directly with colleges and universities, and creating a positive working environment for staff They also focus on recruiting from Wisconsin and Iowa, providing moving expenses, offering recruiting bonuses to current employees, and reaching out to other schools that have recently posted positions These approaches have significantly improved their staffing efforts and overall recruitment success.
School district efforts to recruit standard-licensed teachers
Offer position postings beyond where districts usually post
Most districts implement mentorship programs and offer professional development opportunities to retain standard-licensed teachers, resulting in notable improvements in school performance (69.1-72.9%) Additionally, schools provide promotion pathways and special assignment opportunities, including Teacher on Special Assignment roles, to support teacher growth and retention.
(TOSA) opportunities have made the least impact in retaining standard-licensed teachers
A few districts also mentioned other strategies that have made some or a very big difference
These included creating positive working environment at school; promoting work-life balance; having a strong coaching program; creating leadership teams, Professional
Learning Communities (PLCs), and professional network groups; participating in a
Quality Composition (Q Comp) program, and offering graduate tuition remission.
School district efforts to retain standard-licensed teachers
Offer promotions or increase salaries
Teacher preparation programs employ various strategies to recruit and support candidates in shortage teaching areas, with access to state and federal grants—beyond loan forgiveness programs—being identified as the most effective approach This strategy has a significantly higher impact, with more programs reporting it makes a notable or very significant difference in attracting and supporting prospective teachers.
Teacher preparation programs find that offering personalized advising and support, along with collaborating with partner schools through residency programs and co-teaching, are the most effective strategies for supporting teaching candidates However, due to a limited number of survey respondents, these findings should be interpreted with caution.
Most school districts surveyed emphasize offering competitive salaries and posting teaching positions beyond their usual recruitment channels to attract racially diverse teachers Many districts have established pipeline programs, such as residency models or Grow Your Own initiatives, along with hiring incentives, to increase diversity A significant number of districts reported that creating these pipeline programs has had a very positive impact on recruiting teachers of color, highlighting their effectiveness in diversifying the teaching workforce.
Research shows that recruitment strategies have had limited success in increasing the hiring of teachers of color, with only 11.7-30.4% compared to 50.0-69.0% for standard-licensed teachers (Figures 16 and 18) Some districts highlighted the effectiveness of specific approaches, such as intentional recruitment efforts, setting diversity goals, clearly communicating a racial equity commitment to staff, and partnering with local programs serving Native American communities, which have made a notable impact on promoting diversity in teaching staff.
School district efforts to recruit teachers of color
Offer position postings beyond where districts usually post
Many school districts believe that mentoring programs and professional development initiatives are the most effective strategies for retaining racially diverse teachers, with 35.7% and 37.8% of districts reporting significant positive impacts, respectively In contrast, offering promotions or higher salaries are considered less impactful, with only 30.2% of districts indicating these measures make a noticeable difference Additionally, providing special assignment opportunities is regarded as less influential in retaining diverse teaching staff.
School districts reported that providing leadership opportunities, cultivating an inclusive culture and positive school climate, and offering tuition remission are effective strategies for retaining teachers of color These approaches significantly contribute to fostering an environment where diverse educators feel valued and supported, ultimately improving teacher retention rates.
School district efforts to retain teachers of color
Offer promotions or increase salaries
Teacher preparation programs employ various strategies to recruit and support candidates of color, with online and flexible classroom options identified as the most effective method Providing advising and personalized supports, along with collaborating with partner schools for early placements such as residency and co-teaching programs, are also crucial in helping candidates of color complete their programs However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited number of survey respondents in the study.
The teacher preparation program survey results, based on 34.5 percent of respondents, indicate limited data on the total number and racial/ethnic composition of teaching candidates across licensure areas due to the small sample size Additionally, inconsistent interpretations among school districts regarding the number of posted positions for each licensure area in 2018–19 hinder the ability to accurately report the number of standard-licensed teachers, including those holding five-year, one-year, or Tier licenses.
Determining the number of teachers holding 3 or Tier 4 licenses, Tier 2 licenses, or those with special permissions—such as personnel variance, appeal variance, discretional variance, temporary limited status, waivers, three-year non-renewable licenses, Tier 1 licenses, or non-licensed community experts—is not possible Additionally, the number of unfilled positions cannot be identified due to incomplete data Furthermore, because the previous report did not include definitions for data analysis variables—such as variable names and values—Wilder Research was unable to compare current findings with prior results.
The STAR data used in this report were provided by multiple sources
The licensed teacher count is sourced directly from the PELSB database, which includes various license types accumulated over decades Due to the complexity of the data, filtering out non-instructional and non-standard licenses presents significant challenges, ensuring accurate representation of active instructional teachers.
The number of active licensed teachers is derived from school district employment reports, which are carefully filtered to exclude non-licensed staff When aggregated, the data can account for unduplicated records and recognize teachers active in multiple districts, providing an accurate overall count However, at the district or regional level, a single teacher may be counted multiple times if they work in more than one district, impacting localized data accuracy.
Assignment data for licensed teachers is sourced from school district reports, providing comprehensive information on their teaching positions While aggregate data can be filtered to eliminate duplicates, individual teachers may be counted multiple times when examining specific assignments or licensure areas Moreover, teachers with multiple licenses or assignment categories are included in the data, with their assignments detailed by FTE status, allowing analysis of both individual counts and FTE measures across different categories.
Special permissions data, reflecting the number of teachers working in licensure areas without holding a standard license, originates from multiple sources These permissions are documented in the assignment table and often granted to currently licensed teachers teaching outside their certified subject area Additionally, PELSB tracks individuals with special permissions alongside licensed teacher data to provide a comprehensive overview of the teaching workforce.
Analyzing supply and demand requires merging data from multiple sources, which is complicated by various factors such as licensure flexibility—where a single license may cover multiple teaching assignments, and a single assignment might be taught by multiple licensure areas For instance, changes like the transition from an “English/Language Arts” license can impact supply and demand dynamics in education staffing.
The "Communication Arts and Literature" license in Minnesota offers slightly different allowable assignments, resulting in a mix of professionals holding both old and new licensure fields Teachers with a reading endorsement added to their elementary license might not officially teach under the reading license, but they can still assign reading tasks in elementary classrooms This flexibility highlights the diverse roles of licensed educators within Minnesota's educational system.
Merging diverse data sources with varying inputs and the absence of a one-to-one alignment between license types and assignments pose significant challenges to obtaining clear and accurate analysis results Additionally, the large volume of data points generated by districts and individuals further complicates data clarity, often preventing the presentation of clean summaries These issues are thoroughly addressed throughout the report, including explanations for why certain data may not be reflected in summary tables.
The Minnesota Department of Education published the Teacher Supply and Demand Report through 2017, providing key insights into the state's education workforce However, during the transition to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) producing the report, changes in methodology for counting teachers and assignments may have occurred As a result, it is difficult to reliably analyze trends over time due to these potential methodological shifts.
The Teacher Supply and Demand Report provides policymakers and education stakeholders with a biennial overview of Minnesota’s teaching landscape, highlighting key trends However, recent transitions to a new reporting agency have limited the ability to compare data over time, due to inconsistencies in data collection methods Additionally, changes in teacher licensure fields and assignment alignments complicate accurate assessments of teacher supply and demand The proportion of special permissions is often viewed as an indicator of teacher shortages, but districts may request these permissions for nuanced reasons beyond simply lacking licensed applicants.
In looking back at the research questions for the report, conclusions are as follows:
What is the current supply and demand of teachers by licensure area and economic region?
The data on teacher supply and demand are too inconsistent to draw definitive conclusions, but it is evident that certain licensure areas and EDRs rely heavily on special permissions to fill teaching assignments These special permissions are used across nearly all licensure categories and educational delivery regions, highlighting widespread staffing challenges Additionally, over 70,000 licensed teachers are currently not teaching, and understanding the reasons behind their unemployment could provide valuable insights into addressing teacher workforce issues.
School districts often face shortages in specific content areas, leading them to assign standard-licensed teachers to teach outside their primary licensure fields or hire teachers with special permissions These practices can result in teachers working out of compliance with licensing standards, which may impact instructional quality and credentialing integrity Addressing these shortage areas requires strategic recruitment and targeted support to ensure qualified educators are available for subjects with the greatest staffing challenges Identifying critical content areas where shortages occur helps districts plan for effective staffing solutions and maintain high educational standards.
There is no established definition of a “shortage area.” The U.S Department of
Education enables states to utilize their unique formulas to identify shortage areas; however, these designations are restricted to not exceeding five percent of the total Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) assignments within the state, ensuring a balanced approach to addressing staffing needs.
Most often, a set percentage or higher of special permissions being used in a licensure area would be considered a “shortage.”
What are the racial and ethnic compositions of teachers compared to those of students?