Shortage to Surplus: 5 Shifts to Address the National Educator Shortage

Background

We know the educator shortage is a national crisis. As a national educational organization, the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) has been addressing the issue on multiple fronts by dedicating resources, professional development, advocacy, and data to support our members. In February 2022, we realized it was time to do more. AASPA convened representatives from stakeholder organizations, including government, associations, nonprofits, preparation programs, and PK-12 education organizations to address shortages.

Introduction

Let's move beyond surface-level shortage responses to examine deeper, systemic issues that contribute to mismatches between educator supply and demand.

The Five Shifts for Addressing the Educator Shortage outlines comprehensive shifts that are presented in contrast to traditional calls to action. Each shift contains high-level recommendations, along with examples of actions that different stakeholder groups can take to address the educator shortage. Stakeholder groups can use and share these to chart a pathway forward.

NEW in 2023-2024!! We also highlight promising practices from higher education, PK-12 education organizations, preparation programs, state departments, and more.

Ensuring each student has the future they deserve requires disruptive change. It involves redesigning talent systems in education to create workplaces that both attract new people into education and retain those who want to stay.

Click on the link below to download your copy of the Five Shifts/Promising Practices or go to https://www.edshortage.org/ for more information.

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Mapping A Journey To Address the
National Educator Shortage

As a follow-up to the 5 Shifts to Address the Educator Shortage, the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA), in collaboration with Experience Management Institute (EXMI), are excited to share the 2024 National Educator Shortage Summit results.

This document contains ten personas, each representing an entry point into teaching or school counseling. Every persona is accompanied by a sample journey map illustrating the potential experience of the aspiring educator. Developed with the help of over 300 professionals at the 2024 National Educator Shortage Summit, our hope is that you use this document to have conversations across organizations to better understand and address the educator shortage from your perspective. Instructions and guidelines for conducting your own journey mapping are included.

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Rewriting The Retention Playbook

At the 4th Annual National Educator Shortage Summit (NESS) in 2025, the work continued with a new focus on educator retention as a key component to address the educator shortage. NESS provides a unique, solutions-oriented environment where participants examine the root causes of educator shortages and co-design practical, high-impact strategies. Discussions move beyond identifying challenges to creating sustainable, systemwide solutions that are both locally grounded and nationally relevant.

The Retention Playbook emerged from the 2025 convening. This paper captures the key themes, bold ideas, and promising practices shared during the summit. It is intended to be a living resource—one that grows and evolves as more organizations innovate and learn how to retain and support the educators who shape our future.