States aim to recruit laid-off federal workers as teachers amid ongoing shortages

When a large number of federal workers in the nation's capital faced job cuts earlier this year, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., saw an opportunity to address teacher shortages by recruiting these displaced employees. State and local leaders launched recruitment websites and scheduled job fairs aimed at attracting former federal workers to the teaching profession. Programs for alternative credentialing for teachers were also expanded.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 69,000 federal jobs have been cut since January. However, by mid-summer, state officials could not confirm if these efforts had successfully filled teaching positions. Kelly Meadows from Maryland's State Department of Education noted the difficulty in tracking success unless self-reported.

Virginia's Virginia Works program connected 15,000 job seekers with over 500 employers, including public schools. The Virginia Department of Education stated that local school districts are actively working on recruitment strategies for federal employees.

Paul Lemle from the Maryland State Education Association expressed a desire for displaced federal workers to consider teaching roles due to ongoing teacher shortages in Maryland. He emphasized that former federal employees could contribute beyond teaching by filling roles as researchers or policymakers.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, many schools struggled to fill qualified teacher positions during the 2023-2024 school year. In 2024 alone, Maryland had about 1,900 vacancies, Virginia had roughly 3,650, and Washington D.C. had 288 vacancies.

Megan Boren from the Southern Regional Education Board cited various factors contributing to the teacher shortage, including poor working conditions and low pay. Budget constraints further exacerbate the issue by leaving some vacancies unfilled.

To address this challenge, both Maryland and Virginia are utilizing state grants to provide alternative pathways into teaching. Virginia received a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support teacher apprenticeships across 50 school divisions. Meanwhile, Maryland is offering $1 million in grants to expand online programs for laid-off federal workers seeking teaching licenses through its "Alternative Certification for Effective Teachers" program.

Maryland also offers Montgomery College’s “Fed to Ed” program focusing on helping laid-off federal employees earn teaching licenses through alternative certification methods.

“We’re nowhere near the levels of enrollment in traditional preparation that we were many years ago; that's something we see across the nation," says Meadows. "These are not new programs; they’ve been around Maryland for many years."