Degree Date

12-2022

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Elizabeth Minor

Abstract

Shortages of highly qualified teachers may be one of the greatest challenges school districts face today. This study is an exploration of how eight school districts in Illinois, ranging from rural to suburban and encompassing elementary, high school, and unit organizations, experienced the effects of a teacher shortage in 2021. The three primary research questions of this study included: (1) To what degree were local districts feeling the impact of the teacher shortage in Illinois, and how did those shortages manifest themselves?; (2) What factors did local human resource directors believe to be contributing most to any obstacles they may have been facing in meeting staffing needs?; and (3) What actions did school human resource departments take to proactively address staffing needs, and how effective was each strategy in meeting those needs? Employing a qualitative methodology, gathering data via semi-structured interviews, several key themes were identified as it related to the recruitment and retention of staff. Policy implications highlighted the importance of further development of Grow-Your-Own (GYO) programs to improve the recruitment and retention of teachers.

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