Topic: Educator Workforce Policy

Overview

Educator Workforce Policy
State Policies to Elevate the Profession and Address Shortages

The most important thing schools can do for students’ education is ensure they have good teachers and leaders. States need a strong teacher workforce to increase student learning and to build a stronger economy. SREB helps state leaders address teacher shortages and improve policies that affect teachers across their careers — including recruiting, supporting and retaining great teachers.

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO EDUCATOR WORKFORCE POLICY

Click on an area below to explore publications, resources, data and more.

PreparationLicensure & CertificationCompensationSupport & Growth

These four elements support teachers at every stage of their careers — from candidates and early career teachers, to professional teachers and teacher leaders. 

Featured Post
A teacher smiling at an elementary school student who is sitting at her desk.

SREB’s Educator Workforce Initiative

SREB is committed to improving the educator workforce as one of its top priorities through the end of the decade.

A cross-collaborative team of staff are working on this initiative and have developed the following vision to lead their work over the next five years.  

SEE SREB’S VISION

Every child deserves a great teacher. Educator shortages hurt our students, exhaust our educators & drain our economy. To sustain our economy, we must have enough quality teachers and school leaders to fully prepare the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and workers.  

SREB is a leader in solving the complex issue of building and maintaining a first-rate educator workforce.  

SREB strives to support policy and practice leaders in states, P-20 and postsecondary education to comprehensively improve the educator profession through the following priority goals: 

  • Make teaching more attractive
  • Enhance educator pathways and preparation
  • Cultivate strong educator support programs
  • Modernize the teaching profession and educator workday
Publication April 2026 | 4 pages
Policy brief cover titled 'How to Attract and Retain Generation Z Teachers' by SREB. Features an image of a smiling teacher with diverse students in a classroom.

How to Attract and Retain Generation Z Teachers

SREB partnered with Vanderbilt University to conduct several research studies on Gen Z educators and current challenges attracting and retaining young professionals in K-12 education. In this brief, the research team shares key findings and examines four areas that state policy can focus on to recruit and retain more Gen Z teachers into the classroom — ultimately increasing workforce stability and student achievement.

READ THE POLICY BRIEF

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Educator Insights on How to Save the Teaching Profession

Educator Insights on How to Save the Teaching Profession

Educators are at the heart of serving students—and they have ideas that can transform their own profession. At the SREB Summer Conference, we asked teachers, coaches, counselors and administrators from around the South a simple but powerful question: What would it take to make teaching more attractive and sustainable? Through on-camera interviews, focus groups, and surveys, educators shared their honest perspectives on the challenges they face today and their solution ideas for the future.

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Educator Workforce Data

A magnifying glass on top of various charts and graphs. To address teacher shortages, elevate the profession, and fuel the economy, a key first step is unpacking the data.

SREB supports efforts to collect and use data to inform policy and practice as part of building, supporting, and maintaining a strong educator workforce. 

EXPLORE OUR DATA COLLECTIONS ON EDUCATOR PIPELINES AND COMPENSATION:
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Educator Workforce Research
Trends in the Teacher Labor Market

A teacher reading with a group of students in front of some bookshelves. SREB partners with Vanderbilt University to produce new research about trends in the teacher labor market, including educator experiences and perceptions, using data from some of our member states.

The goal is to help provide further insights, solutions and ideas for states and districts to better attract, support and retain strong educators.

SEE OUR RESEARCH STUDIES:
Publication April 2025 | 26 pages
A Blueprint to Solve Teacher Shortages for School and District Leaders

A Blueprint to Solve Teacher Shortages
For School and District Leaders

The solution to teacher recruitment, quality and retention requires a comprehensive, long-term approach and reliable data. This report offers a framework for district planning and action, covering policy and practice for pathways and preparation, licensure and advancement, professional support and mentorship, and compensation and working conditions.

READ MORE

Publication September 2024 | 16 pages

Teacher Career Pathways and Advancement Options

We need more high-quality pathways to ensure a skilled teacher workforce so that all students have prepared, certified teachers in every class. This report reviews the data on teacher shortages and quality and shows the four main pathways into the profession. It details the essential elements of quality teacher career pathways and offers examples  to look toward from states around the nation.

DOWNLOAD REPORT

Publication April 2022 | 16 pages
report cover

A Blueprint to Solve Teacher Shortages
For State Leaders

Imagine a world where more great people enter teaching, stay in the profession, and get better and better. How do we achieve this?

This report offers insight for state leaders on how to elevate the profession by renovating policies that affect the teacher workforce. With lessons from SREB states that have forged comprehensive plans, it covers pathways and preparation, licensing, mentoring and support, and compensation structures. The report also includes data on shortages, what causes them and how they hurt our economy.