The United States faces ongoing teacher shortages in 2025, with data from federal reports, state initiatives, and local negotiations revealing persistent challenges. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) issued a report on September 29, 2025, examining shortages in special education amid a rising student population with disabilities (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). States continue to test alternative pay structures beyond test scores, as detailed in a October 2025 Education Week analysis (Sparks, 2025). Low salaries exacerbate the crisis, with the pay gap between teachers and other college graduates reaching 27% in 2024, according to National Education Association (NEA) data (National Education Association, 2025a). A July 2025 Learning Policy Institute (LPI) overview estimates 365,967 underqualified teachers across 48 states and the District of Columbia (Podolsky et al., 2025a). In Illinois, Tinley Park Elementary District 146 reached a tentative contract agreement with its teachers' union on September 17, 2025, averting a planned strike (Chicago Tribune, 2025). These developments highlight systemic issues in recruitment, retention, and compensation.

USCCR Report Examines Special Education Teacher Shortages

The USCCR released "The Federal Response to Teacher Shortage Impacts on Students with Disabilities" on September 29, 2025 (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). The report addresses how shortages in special education teachers affect students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The student population with disabilities grew to 7.5 million in 2023-24, representing 15% of all K-12 enrollment, according to U.S. Department of Education data cited in the report (U.S. Department of Education, 2024). Special education hiring lagged behind this increase, with vacancies rising 20% from 2020 to 2024 in surveyed states (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a).

The report draws from hearings held by the USCCR's Nevada Advisory Committee in January 2024, which documented unfair learning conditions due to staffing gaps (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). Witnesses included educators and advocates who reported that 40% of special education positions in Nevada remained unfilled or filled by underqualified staff during the 2023-24 school year (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). Nationally, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recorded 48,000 special education vacancies in fall 2024, up 12% from 2023 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2025).

Key findings include disproportionate impacts on students of color and low-income groups, where shortages lead to larger caseloads—averaging 18 students per teacher versus the recommended 12 under IDEA guidelines (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). The report notes that underqualified teachers, defined as those without full certification, comprised 15% of special education staff in 2024, per LPI estimates (Podolsky et al., 2025a). Federal responses, such as IDEA funding allocations of $14.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, fall short of the authorized $18.4 billion, limiting recruitment incentives (U.S. Department of Education, 2025a).

The USCCR unanimously approved the report on July 18, 2025, following briefings from experts (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a). It recommends increased federal grants for teacher preparation programs, loan forgiveness expansion, and civil rights enforcement to address disparities. The report references a 2024 Nevada study showing that special education shortages correlate with a 10% higher dropout rate for students with disabilities in understaffed districts (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2025a).

States Test Teacher Pay Models Beyond Test Scores

States introduced performance-based pay experiments in 2025, shifting from test-score reliance to multifaceted evaluations. An October 2025 Education Week report details initiatives in five states: Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee (Sparks, 2025). These programs reward teachers for student growth, professional development, and schoolwide metrics.

In Colorado, the 2025-26 budget allocates $20 million for bonuses in 50 districts, where top 5% performers based on a composite score—40% student outcomes, 30% peer reviews, 30% leadership roles—receive $10,000 annually (Sparks, 2025). The top 6-10% earn $5,000. Indiana's 2025 law expands a pilot serving 100 schools, tying 15% of salaries to non-test factors like attendance improvements and parent engagement surveys (Sparks, 2025). Louisiana distributed $15 million in 2024-25 bonuses to 4,200 teachers, averaging $3,300, for contributions beyond standardized tests, such as extracurricular mentoring (Sparks, 2025).

South Carolina's Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), renewed in 2025, operates in 200 schools and bases 20% of pay on observations, student feedback, and innovation projects (Sparks, 2025). Tennessee's 2025 expansion reaches 150 districts, with $25 million funding bonuses up to $8,000 for teachers demonstrating equity-focused practices, like culturally responsive teaching (Sparks, 2025).

These models address criticisms of test-score pay, which a 2023 Fordham Institute study found ineffective in 60% of implementations due to narrow metrics (Fordham Institute, 2023). Participation covers 15% of U.S. teachers, per NEA data, with evaluations showing 8% retention gains in pilot districts (National Education Association, 2025a). Funding sources include federal ESSER III remnants and state lotteries, totaling $100 million nationwide in 2025 (Sparks, 2025).

Low Pay Drives Worsening Teacher Shortage

Teacher salaries lagged behind inflation and comparable professions in 2025, intensifying shortages. NEA's April 29, 2025, "Rankings and Estimates" report shows the average teacher salary rose 3.8% to $72,030 in 2023-24, but after inflation adjustment, real wages declined 5% since 2015-16 (National Education Association, 2025a). The pay penalty—teachers earning 73 cents for every dollar other college graduates make—hit 27% in 2024, up from 23% in 2016 (National Education Association, 2025a).

LPI's July 16, 2025, factsheet attributes shortages to low entry pay, averaging $42,000 for first-year teachers versus $55,000 for other bachelor's holders (Podolsky et al., 2025b). High attrition—16% annual rate, per NCES—stems from workloads and compensation (National Center for Education Statistics, 2025). A Stateline analysis from May 21, 2025, reports 1 in 8 positions vacant or underqualified, with low-pay states like Oklahoma (average $54,000) facing 20% vacancy rates (Quinton, 2025).

NEA data indicates 86% of districts struggled to hire in 2024-25, with 51,000 teachers quitting in 2023 (National Education Association, 2025a). A Devlin Peck January 2025 compilation estimates 55,000 vacancies and 270,000 underqualified roles (Peck, 2025). EdSurge's September 25, 2025, article notes global parallels, with U.S. shortages mirroring a 44 million teacher gap worldwide, driven by pay and burnout (EdSurge, 2025).

States responded with raises: California increased starting pay to $60,000 in 2025; New Jersey leads at $78,000 average (National Education Association, 2025a). Yet, Universitas21's August 7, 2025, report warns that without addressing workload and status, shortages persist (Universitas21, 2025).

National Overview: 365,000 Underqualified Teachers

LPI's July 16, 2025, "Overview of Teacher Shortages" factsheet estimates 365,967 underqualified teachers in 48 states and DC as of June 2025 (Podolsky et al., 2025a). Underqualified includes emergency-certified or substandard hires. This figure rose 5% from 2024's 348,000, per LPI's annual scan (Podolsky et al., 2025a).

The report analyzes NCES and state data, showing shortages in 21 states with 27,844 vacancies in 2024-25 (Podolsky et al., 2025a). TALAS's August 24, 2025, update confirms nearly one in eight positions vacant or underqualified, with emergency hires up 10% (TALAS, 2025). Fullmind's February 19, 2025, state-by-state breakdown lists California (18,000 vacancies), Texas (16,000), and Florida (12,000) as hardest hit (Fullmind, 2025).

ProxLearn's July 7, 2025, analysis identifies 10 states—Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia—with over 10% underqualified rates (ProxLearn, 2025). University Business's August 22, 2025, report notes reliance on long-term substitutes, correlating with 5% lower test scores in affected classes (University Business, 2025).

Pipeline issues contribute: Teacher preparation enrollments fell 20% since 2010, per Title II data (U.S. Department of Education, 2024). Retention suffers, with 35% planning to leave within two years, per NEA (National Education Association, 2025a).

Tinley Park District Reaches Agreement, Avoids Strike

Tinley Park Elementary District 146 in Illinois reached a tentative contract with the District 146 Educators Council on September 17, 2025, averting a strike set for September 22 (Chicago Tribune, 2025). The union, affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, authorized the strike on September 12 after negotiations stalled over wages and class sizes (Chicago Tribune, 2025).

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Schilling announced the agreement, stating it addressed key concerns without work stoppage (Chicago Tribune, 2025). The contract covers 250 teachers serving 2,500 students in pre-K through eighth grade. Union president reported 98% approval in a preliminary vote, with final ratification pending October 1 (Chicago Tribune, 2025).

Negotiations began in spring 2025, focusing on a 4% raise amid Illinois' 3.5% average (Chicago Tribune, 2025). The deal includes step increases and professional development stipends. Earlier, 98% of members voted to strike if no deal emerged (Chicago Tribune, 2025). The district, 30 miles south of Chicago, operates on a $45 million budget, with 85% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch (Chicago Tribune, 2025).

This resolution follows similar 2025 pacts in Illinois, where strikes declined 15% due to mediation laws (Illinois Policy Institute, 2025).