or Immediate Release
Contact: AEA Communications Director Emily Kirkland, [email protected], 646 623 5271
STATEMENT FROM ARIZONA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION:
NEW DATA SHOWS THE SCALE OF THE EDUCATOR RETENTION CRISIS
PHOENIX – Earlier today, the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association released new data showing that 2,890 teacher vacancies were unfilled across Arizona as of January 2023, representing 25% of all teacher vacanies as of the start of the year. Of the vacancies that have been filled, 45% were filled by people who don’t meet standard teacher certification requirements. These vacancies are often the result of teachers leaving the profession, including veteran teachers with decades of experience.
“Most Arizonans agree: regardless of who they are or where they live, all kids deserve a great education, one that instills in them a lifelong love of learning and prepares them for the future. But that vision is hard to fulfill when schools simply cannot retain qualified educators due to low pay, inadequately funded classrooms and a lack of respect. Arizona needs to invest in our schools and our educators, or this crisis will only continue to deepen,” said Marisol Garcia, president of the Arizona Education Association.
The data also shows high numbers of vacancies among education support professionals, including 1,640 vacancies for special education paraprofessionals, and among certified staff other than classroom teachers, like counselors and occupational therapists.
“Today’s data also highlights the need to invest in wages, benefits and working conditions for the education support professionals who ensure that our kids are safe, healthy and ready to learn,” added Garcia.
The data from ASPAA is available here: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aspaa.org/resource/resmgr/documents/press_releases/aspaa_press_release_-_januar.pdf
Garcia is available for interviews by phone or in person this afternoon. Contact Emily Kirkland to schedule, [email protected], 646 623 5271.
