HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia is making strides in reducing its teacher shortage, thanks to new state initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining educators. But despite the progress, some schools — especially those serving low-income students and special education programs — continue to struggle with vacancies.
At the start of the 2024-25 school year, Virginia’s teacher vacancy rate dropped to 3.4%, a 1.3% improvement from July. The state credits several new programs for the improvement, including a $6 million federal grant to expand its Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway in 28 school divisions.
Additionally, Virginia’s Local Eligibility License, approved in August, allows school boards to issue one-year, nonrenewable teaching licenses to candidates with a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience. A Universal Teacher Licensure law also took effect, making it easier for out-of-state educators to transition into Virginia classrooms.
Despite these efforts, certain positions remain difficult to fill.
Title I schools, which serve low-income students, have the highest vacancy rate at 6%, followed by special education teachers at 5.7%, and elementary and pre-K teachers at 4.3%.
With some progress being made, Virginia’s latest efforts mark a step forward, but whether these programs will be enough to keep teachers in the classroom long-term remains an open question.
