Blue Ribbon Report Targets Teacher Shortage

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz.

The state-convened Blue Ribbon Commission on the Recruitment and Retention of Excellent Educators has released its final report. The commission’s eight strategies aim to address what the Indiana Department of Education says is a shortage of teachers.

The department says the strategies focus on all facets of the career, including:

• mentoring
• compensation
• evaluation and assessment
• a diverse workforce
• clinical experiences
• positive press
• professional development
• career pathways and leadership

Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz says "very child in Indiana deserves to have high-quality educators in their classroom. With fewer individuals entering the education profession and remaining in the profession long-term, it is critical that Indiana implement the strategies developed by the Blue Ribbon Commission. I look forward to continuing to work with the Indiana General Assembly to pass legislation to ensure that Hoosier students continue to have excellent teachers in their schools."

The department says data suggest a more than 30 percent drop in the number of initial practitioner teaching licenses being received.