Mapping a Journey to Address
The National Educator Shortage
As a follow-up to the 5 Shifts to Address the Educator Shortage, the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA), in collaboration with Experience Management Institute (EXMI), are excited to share the 2024 National Educator Shortage Summit results. More than 300 attendees from PK12 school districts, Education Preparation Programs (EPPs), state departments, state legislatures, professional associations, and the US Department of Education gathered to collaborate on this project and solutions to shortages and barriers.
The National Educator Shortage Summit participants were strategically placed at tables to ensure diverse representation across organization types for better
brainstorming. Each table was given a fictional “Educator Persona” representing an individual who had entered the educator pipeline. Personas were inclusive of background, preparation path, and individual personal characteristics.
Tables were asked to address the different barriers and challenges as well as document opportunities and options for their fictional persona as they navigate the preparation, licensure, and process of gaining a position in a school.
What follows are instructions on how to utilize these personas to better recognize and understand the unique characteristics and needs of our future workforce in education. We hope that organizations consider using these or developing their own personas to make systematic changes to address the educator shortage.