South Florida consortium addresses teacher shortage crisis at educational summit

Beginning in 2022, the South Florida Education Consortium was formed by deans and faculty from Miami-Dade institutions of higher education, along with school district leaders. The group has been meeting to address issues in K-12 education, focusing on the teacher shortage crisis. Despite various challenges such as political issues and natural disasters, the shortage of teachers has reached critical levels.

The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) reported that since 2016, at least 40 states have faced shortages in areas like science, math, and special education. A significant drop in students entering teacher preparation programs has been noted. LPI predicted a shortfall of over 100,000 teachers by 2017-18 if policies did not change—a prediction that has come true. Today, more than one-third of new hires have temporary or emergency credentials.

The teacher shortage impacts students and schools negatively. Education is crucial for democratic participation and social mobility. However, this national crisis remains under-addressed.

In South Florida, educational leaders are committed to providing high-quality education but acknowledge the need for local solutions. On January 25th, the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development hosted an Educational Summit on the Teacher Shortage Crisis. The event was co-sponsored by Florida International University and Miami-Dade College.

Dean Kohn Wood opened the summit alongside Ms. Mari Tere Rojas and Dr. Dawn Baglos from M-DCPS. Dean Carole Basile from Arizona State University presented on workforce design initiatives. A panel discussed solutions to the teacher shortage with contributions from Dr. Dawn Baglos, Dr. Steve Gallon, Mr. Wallace Aristide, Mr. Roniel Osario, Dr. Jennifer Krawec, Dr. Pablo Ortiz, Ms. Melissa Dotel, and Ms. Leslie Miller.

Attendees participated in discussions facilitated by consortium faculty to explore ways to address the shortage locally. Another summit is planned for June 2025 at Miami Dade College.

Information from this article can be found here.