Philadelphia lawmakers and leaders are hoping that a new program offering a $10,000 stipend will help them deal with a record staffing shortage in teachers across the state.
Senator Vincent Hughes (D-7th District), Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington and other state education leaders held a press conference Monday morning to address the teacher shortage as well as possible solutions.
“We need more teachers,” Hughes said. “There’s no more important job in our life than a teacher.”
Data from Penn State's Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis showed that the rate of teacher attrition in Pennsylvania grew faster in the 2022-23 school year and hit its highest point in a decade of tracking. There are currently about 5,000 teacher vacancies in the state.
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"Imagine being expected to hold a master's degree only to earn a salary that can barely cover your rent and your student loan payments," Senator Jimmy Dillon (D-5th District) said during Monday's press conference. "For a profession that molds the minds of our next generation, the pay is simply not competitive."
Hughes cited a new program from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) as a possible solution to the problem.
The program awards student teachers in Pennsylvania a minimum grant of $10,000. Student teachers could receive an additional $5,000 if they work in “high-need areas” that attract few student teachers or have a high number of open positions. A teacher overseeing a student teacher would also be eligible for $2,500 under the program.
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“The prospect of giving up that income, while incurring additional expenses associated with things like commuting and purchasing a new work wardrobe, is a significant barrier for prospective teachers in Pennsylvania who are already potentially struggling to afford the cost of college education and working to cover their living expenses,” the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, a Democrat from Chester County, said last year.
Students who receive the grant would also agree to work as a teacher in Pennsylvania for at least three years.
“Paying our student teachers a modest stipend will remove a significant barrier in becoming an educator and help ease the staff shortages in the years ahead,” Aaron Chapin, a teacher at Stroudsburg Middle School and President of the Pa. State Education Association, said.
The program is set to go into effect this fall.
