The Department of Education announced Monday the number of new teachers receiving licenses from the state saw a huge increase this school year.
Last school year, the Department issued around 3,800 licenses to new teachers, the lowest of the last six years. This school year, around 4,500 were issued- an 18-percent increase.
That's a sharp turnaround. Recently there have been fewer people applying for new teacher licenses – the number has been dropping each year for the last three years.
After the lowest drop during the 2013-2014 school year, the state started calling it a teacher shortage. It was discussed during last year’s legislative session and State Superintendent Glenda Ritz created a panel of educators to discuss how to better the profession in the state.
In a statement, Ritz says she is pleased to see the numbers increase, although it doesn’t mean the shortage is over.
