Op-Ed: Why Qualified Teachers Matter More Than Vacancy Numbers

BUCKTOWN-WICKER PARK -- Filled teaching positions don’t always mean the right educators are in the room. In this piece, researchers Meg Bates and Stephanie Werner spotlight how computer science education reveals a broader challenge—ensuring every teacher is qualified to meet today’s demands:

In March, the Illinois State Board of Education provided some happy news: the number of teacher shortages went down this year, showing slight easing of this problem for our K-12 schools. While some chronic shortages remain in specific content and geographic areas, these numbers are certainly cause for celebration.

But statewide concerns about the teacher workforce do not end with a filled position. The qualifications and experience of the person at the front of the room are equally as important.

Take, for instance, the case of Computer Science (CS) education. The Illinois legislature has made CS education a priority in Illinois, recognizing the centrality of technology skills to employment. We now have state CS standards, alongside a mandate that all districts offer high school students the opportunity to take CS coursework, with a potential CS graduation requirement currently on the House floor. The available data show few unfilled technology-related teaching positions across the state.

But our recent research suggests that the CS teacher workforce may not provide the high-quality CS education our students deserve. Three facts from our research point to this conclusion:

• As the population of CS students has grown to about 45,000 each year, the number of CS teachers has also grown—from 1,660 in 2018 to 1,894 in 2022.
• Only about half of those CS teachers hold a CS endorsement as part of their professional educator license.
• For some CS courses, only about a third hold the appropriate, aligned endorsement.

These CS positions are filled. But are they best serving our students?

While increasing access to CS in Illinois is vital, it should be done with qualified educators at the forefront. Having experience and training in CS education is a necessary baseline for the teacher workforce (although, one might argue, even the most qualified teachers need to continually update their skills and knowledge through professional learning and reflection on their practice). The current CS teacher workforce is almost certainly doing their best, but have they been put in the best position for their skills and talents? It's true that people often compare learning CS to learning a new language. But we wouldn't expect a teacher to effectively teach French after minimal training. And yet, for some CS teachers, minimal training is their reality.

One solution to this problem is to produce more CS-endorsed teachers. Another is to mine the “untapped” CS-endorsed workforce: Our research shows that there are almost enough teachers with CS endorsements in the state to fully meet the need, but many of those teachers are not teaching CS right now.

Whatever the solution, this issue with the CS workforce points to a broader concern: Teacher shortages extend beyond the numbers of filled and unfilled positions. A school may fill a position but still have a “shortage” in terms of a qualified, effective educator for a specific course.

While we celebrate the reduction in teacher vacancies, it’s important to keep the north star in mind: highly qualified, effective teachers for all students, in all subjects.

Meg Bates is the Director of the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) at University of Illinois. She grew up in Quincy, Illinois and currently lives in Oak Park, Illinois.

Stephanie Werner is a Senior Research Specialist at IWERC. She grew up and lives in Chicago.