Staffing Schools Before Students Arrive: Filling Teacher Vacancies in Providence

Associate Professor John Papay along with the Annenberg Institute’s Associate Professor of the Practice Nate Schwartz, Research Project Manager Kate Donohue, and Research Program Associate Burke O’Brien provided the first briefing about the teacher workforce in Providence.

Every year, far too many students across the country begin school without a permanent teacher in place in their classroom. These teacher vacancies arise for many reasons – schools do not complete their hiring on time, teachers resign late in the summer, and new positions arise at the last minute. Regardless of the reason, vacancies and late hiring hurt students. Students whose teachers are hired after the start of the school year learn less than those whose teachers are hired earlier.