DES MOINES, Iowa — State officials say Iowa is doing better than most other states when it comes to staffing at schools. According to a new report from the Iowa Department of Education, the percentage of open teacher positions is about half the national average.
For the 2025-2026 school year, full-time teacher vacancies in Iowa are at 1.12%. Last year, that figure was 1.75%.
“I think it attempts to paint a picture that is not the lived experience of our teacher members in the field,” Melissa Peterson, the Iowa State Education Association’s legislative and policy director, said…