A Vacancy Crisis: Baltimore’s Teacher retention issue
By Aaron-Forrest Wainwright
BALTIMORE — Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) grapple with a persistent teacher shortage that has tangible impacts on students' educational experiences. As of August 2022, the district reported 225 teacher vacancies, a figure that underscores the challenges faced in staffing classrooms adequately. Vacant positions often lead to larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, and increased reliance on substitute teachers, which disrupts the continuity in students' education.
A study by the Fund for Educational Excellence highlighted that many Baltimore educators cite burnout, lack of administrative support, and insufficient compensation as primary reasons for leaving the profession. Additionally, many educators say district leadership and central office administrators are disconnected from the realities inside classrooms and top-down decisions or expectations often fail to reflect the daily challenges teachers face in schools.
In response, BCPS has launched a range of recruitment efforts, including job fairs and partnerships with local universities to build a pipeline of new educators. But these initiatives have yet to address the deeper issues driving turnover.
A 2024 report from the Maryland State Department of Education shows that 12 percent of teachers statewide left their positions in the previous year. Baltimore City had one of the highest attrition rates in the state at 18.1 percent, suggesting the problem is both local and systemic. Experts say the district needs more than recruitment; it needs a sustained strategy to retain educators.
Solving Baltimore’s teacher shortage will require a multifaceted approach that includes improving working conditions, increasing salaries, and offering meaningful professional development. Without these changes, the district risks ongoing disruption to its schools and to the quality of education students receive.
Sources:
Fund for Educational Excellence. (2022). Should I Stay or Should I Go? Retrieved from [https://ffee.org/teacherretentionstudy/]ffee.org+2ffee.org+2citybiz+2
Baltimore City Public Schools. (2024). City Schools Job Fairs. Retrieved from [https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/article/1431830]Baltimore City Public Schools+4Baltimore City Public Schools+4Baltimore City Public Schools+4
Maryland State Department of Education. (2024). Maryland’s Teacher Workforce: Supply, Demand, and Diversity. Retrieved from [https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2024/0521/Maryland-Teacher-Workforce-Supply-Demand-and-Diversity-A.pdf]Maryland Public Schools
