In general, an improving economy is a good thing. Unemployment falls, incomes rise, deficits shrink and people feel a greater sense of confidence. But there are some issues that arise as an economy improves, including greater difficulty filling positions. One of the occupational categories that has become most problematic recently is substitute teacher.
In Washington State, a preliminary survey conducted late last year by the Office of the State Actuary found that eighty four or ninety four school districts that responded reported difficult securing substitutes. As reported in the New York Times, in West Virginia, lawmakers voted in twenty thirteen to require central office administrators to fill in for absent teachers three days a year due to persistent shortages of substitutes.
A common source of substitutes has been education majors searching for experience. However, educational analysts indicate that fewer college students are selecting teaching as a career path in part because of recent layoffs and concerns regarding new education standards. Efforts in some states to link teacher evaluations with student test scores also appear to be persuading some to steer clear of the teaching profession.
