NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Teacher vacancies across the state are down significantly as the number of teachers taking non-traditional paths has nearly doubled, new data shows.
During a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education, committee members discussed how the last several years have represented volatility in the teacher labor market that has impacted the overall quality and quantity of the workforce.
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Brooke Amos with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) said shortages and surpluses generally do coexist in the labor market. However, in recent years TDOE has seen hiring managers stretched thin as well as new and previously unexperienced areas of need.
According to TDOE data, there was a 43% drop in teacher vacancies between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years…