Teachers have a huge impact on a child’s education, but Utah is facing a teacher shortage.
The problem is that Utah students aren't choosing to become teachers. In 2017, only 34 percent of our new teachers came from Utah's academic teacher prep programs, compared to 58 percent in 2007.
Unfortunately, there are good reasons for that. Utah's average teacher salaries and per-pupil spending are significantly less than the U.S. average, while our class sizes are much bigger. These and other factors make teaching in Utah a tough job.
But recruiting more students into our traditional teacher training programs is critical to building a healthy teacher workforce for our K-12 kids. While other teachers leave the profession at annual rates as high as 23 percent, those recommended for licensure by Utah colleges and universities are likely to stay in the classroom long-term. And research shows teacher turnover not only costs schools and districts—it hurts student performance.
Learn more about why students aren’t considering teaching as a career ➝
When we work to strengthen and support our teachers, we'll retain great educators at higher rates and encourage Utah's best and brightest students to join them.
Utah teachers work hard for our kids, and they deserve our support. That means making their compensation more competitive, creating more opportunities for career advancement, and guaranteeing new teachers adequate mentorship, to name a few. Adjustments like these, in addition to elevating the public perception of educational professions, will do wonders to build a diverse, high quality teacher workforce across the state, and Utah kids will reap the benefits.
